FIFA World Cup 2018 (Russia) Thread

[RINO Tom]

Little late, as a group of friends and I went to a music festival all weekend, but ... Germany!   So many close chances.  That was a painful game to watch.  Pumped that Sweden got that first match win that they've been attempting for decades, though!

[Alabama_Indy10]

Anybody else really surprised with Japan's win this morning?!

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

Anybody else really surprised with Japan's win this morning?!

You can add Colombia and Japan to your list...

It would be so damn funny if Senegal and Japan are going to advance to the knockout stage, leaving to strong teams from the two soccer continents behind.  

[NewYorkExpress]

So, tomorrow, Uruguay, Portugal and Spain all should win easily, but the way this tournament has been going, all three could at least face a draw against Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Iran respectively.

What do you think is the most likely outcome?

[Leinad]

Very surprised by Japan winning. Fun to see, though. Not too surprised by Senegal--they have some good players--but Japan from everything I've seen and heard in the lead-up have been at their worst. Kagawa looked like he really wanted to win, him and Osaka seem like a good pairing. I wonder if Colombia's failure was a blip and they'll play better if James starts, or if they're just crap this time around.

I could see Morocco forcing Portugal's old defenders into a mistake or two, but they would need to be more efficient than they were against Iran. Ziyech wasn't allowed into that game and they'll have trouble getting a point if that happens again (that being said Portugal won't pack players behind the ball like Iran does, but I don't think they'll get too opened up in the back).

Portugal only beat Spain because of mostly dumb defensive errors that gave one of the best players in the world chances to score. It's not wrapped up yet at all. Wouldn't be surprised if they flub one of these.

Spain vs. Iran will look like Argentina vs. Iceland if Argentina could somehow figure out how to play as a damn team.

A bunch of teams in this tournament have put on marvelous, disciplined defensive displays that can shut down superior-yet-maybe-not-on-form attacking teams to get results or almost get results. Uruguay fits the latter description, Saudi Arabia is about as far as you can get from the former, showing an adventurous instinct to possess yet absolutely no ability to string together passes or defend against counterattacks. Nothing is guaranteed but Cavani could win the Golden Boot off of this game lol

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

So, tomorrow, Uruguay, Portugal and Spain all should win easily, but the way this tournament has been going, all three could at least face a draw against Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Iran respectively.

What do you think is the most likely outcome?

Saudi Arabia is probably too crappy of a team to draw Portugal.

[NewYorkExpress]

https://nypost.com/2018/06/19/journalist-groped-kissed-during-live-broadcast-at-world-cup/

So yeah, this happened...

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Meanwhile, tomorrow, I've got Denmark drawing Australia, France defeating Peru, and Argentina defeating Croatia (though that last one could also be a draw).

[Mike88]

Th Portugal vs Morocco match was really, really bad for us. Yes, Portugal won but the team showed real disabilities everywhere: in defense, attack and midfield. The team is weaker this year, in my view, than in 2016 as it is too dependent on Cristiano. In 2016, they weren't so dependent on him and played much better without him. But this year, if it wasn't for Cristiano... God help us.

But, then again, in the 2016 Euro, Portugal also suffered a lot during the group stage and went on to winning the Euro. The fact Portugal didn't performed brilliantly, in that tournament, said more about the other countries than Portugal itself. This year, the big teams are, once again, showing big weaknesses.

[Landslide Lyndon]

I hate all these third world teams like Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Panama, etc.
They have showed zero progress all these years. Morocco and Saudi Arabia today could play till the cows come home and still they wouldn't score a single goal.
The Saudis faced elimination and yet you never saw more than one or two players inside Uruguay's box. How stupid (or scared) were they?

[Tirnam]

This World Cup is so boring so far. Only two good matches: Portugal-Spain, Germany-Mexico.

[RINO Tom]

This World Cup is so boring so far. Only two good matches: Portugal-Spain, Germany-Mexico.

Hmmm, have to disagree with ya there.

[Tirnam]

This World Cup is so boring so far. Only two good matches: Portugal-Spain, Germany-Mexico.

Hmmm, have to disagree with ya there.

Well, at least we have some surprises in terms of results, but in terms of quality of the game it's really poor in my view.

[mvd10]

Euro 2016 also was really poor. Anyway, I suppose we'll have to wait for the knock-out games before it gets interesting. Damn, I hope Germany loses against Sweden, it's game over for them if they do. Germany 2018 could be like the Dutch performance during the 2012 European Championship (we were heavily hyped before losing all of our group matches and coming in last in our group). Schadenfreude .

[RINO Tom]

Euro 2016 also was really poor. Anyway, I suppose we'll have to wait for the knock-out games before it gets interesting. Damn, I hope Germany loses against Sweden, it's game over for them if they do. Germany 2018 could be like the Dutch performance during the 2012 European Championship (we were heavily hyped before losing all of our group matches and coming in last in our group). Schadenfreude .

Spain 2014
Italy 2010
France 2002 (though I don't really remember that one)

Defending champs haven't fared well ... hopefully Germany gets its shlt together for Sweden.  Still rooting for the unlikely scenario that Sweden and Germany both advance!  Would need Mexico to choke hard.

[Leinad]

I hate all these third world teams like Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Panama, etc.
They have showed zero progress all these years. Morocco and Saudi Arabia today could play till the cows come home and still they wouldn't score a single goal.
The Saudis faced elimination and yet you never saw more than one or two players inside Uruguay's box. How stupid (or scared) were they?

Panama has made the World Cup for the first time ever, if that's not literally the definition of "showing progress" I don't know what is...Morocco played better than the European champions FFS...

[Landslide Lyndon]

Morocco played better than the European champions FFS...

No it didn't. Ball possession means nothing if you are unable to translate it to goals.
Morocco gives the impression that it wouldn't score even if the game lasted not 90 but 900 minutes.

[mvd10]

Morocco played better than the European champions FFS...

No it didn't. Ball possession means nothing if you are unable to translate it to goals.
Morocco gives the impression that it wouldn't score even if the game lasted not 90 but 900 minutes.

And let's not forget that Portugal's victory was one gigantic clusterf**k nobody expected. Portugal was at the verge of being eliminated by Hungary or so in the group stage. Euro has a history of surprise victors though. Greece 2004, Denmark 1992. I see a pattern now btw. What about Armenia 2028?

[DavidB.]

Rooting for Germany this World Cup. Have been watching quite some games.

[parochial boy]

Lolargentina

[mvd10]

Supporting a tournament's weakest, most pathetic and least deserving team has been a proud tradition of mine. I now support Argentina.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Very proud to have picked both of Argentina's results correctly in my office pool. Croatia #1, Iceland #2 in my bracket portion.

[NewYorkExpress]

I think it's safe to say Argentina will NOT be advancing from Group D (I think Iceland beats Croatia to secure their passage, eliminating Argentina, regardless of what Argentina does).

So for tomorrow, I'll take Brazil (I think they do much better against Costa Rica then they did against Switzerland), Iceland (as said, I think they beat Croatia to secure their passage to the second round with their win, and it essentially eliminates Argentina), and Serbia (I like Serbia's chances to pull an upset, irregardless of the Swiss's surprise draw against Brazil).

[Dr Oz Lost Party!]

Damn, what is with all of these upsets? This is wild.

Anyways, YES CROATIA! I love Messi, but Argentina didn't deserve the win.

Croatia is the dark horse.

[Dr Oz Lost Party!]

I think it's safe to say Argentina will NOT be advancing from Group D (I think Iceland beats Croatia to secure their passage, eliminating Argentina, regardless of what Argentina does).

So for tomorrow, I'll take Brazil (I think they do much better against Costa Rica then they did against Switzerland), Iceland (as said, I think they beat Croatia to secure their passage to the second round with their win, and it essentially eliminates Argentina), and Serbia (I like Serbia's chances to pull an upset, irregardless of the Swiss's surprise draw against Brazil).

Why would Iceland beat Croatia? The best they can do is a tie, but I don't understand why Atlas is overestimating them.

[parochial boy]

Our squad contains, 3 Kosovars (Shaqiri, Behrami, Xhaka), 1 Macedonian Albanian (Dzemaili), 1 Croat (Drmic), 1 Bosnian croat (Gavranovic), 1 Bosniak (Seferovic).

Let's be honest, what hope have Serbia got against the whole of Yugoslavia?