@booinyoureyes I guess that depends on the point you're trying to make. A player has the right to choose his professional career over the national team. How do you know they didn't ask these players already?
@booinyoureyes I guess that depends on the point you're trying to make. A player has the right to choose his professional career over the national team. How do you know they didn't ask these players already?
Well, the ESPN's game is fine but the thing is I and many others have this site as the most visited site. We like this forum and would be glad to find any information here, in one place. We've signed in here and it would require additional and from my point of view unnecessary efforts to sign in ESPN from us. It would also limit the number of participants in some way because there're not many BG fans here already and if we use any additional site the number will be even less.
This is the reason I offer to organise the prediction game here.
If we were to make a party of footballers from our favorite sides who would they be?
Roma (my all time favorites)
Cafu: Bard. He smiles way too much to be anything else
Carlo Ancelotti: Rogue. Carletto would just disappear and ghost past defenders, so hide in shadows is perfect for him He was with Milan at the time, but tell me this isn't "hide in plain sight"
Vincenzo Montella would also make a great swashbuckler!
Damiano Tommasi: Cleric. He is possibly the most philanthropic and selfless footballer ever to play the game. He donated so much to children's hospitals that it would be fitting to make him a healer
Gabriel Batistuta: Barbarian. Skillful and fierce? Totally him. Besides, he TOTALLY looks like one Skald would also work, due to his famous guitar celebration. De Rossi would also be a barbarian, but barely misses out.
Aldair: Paladin. Pure warrior in defense who was also a squeaky clean player. Typical Lawful Good Badass. He also has that serious paladin LG rejection of pomp and ceremony (they retired the number six in his number in his honor. This was the only number Roma ever retired... then Aldair requested that they use it. I'm convinced Kevin Strootman is Roma's best player now due to wearing this number)
Totti: Sorcerer Level Infinity
Because everything he does is F@%$ing magical
Though he gets to break the rules and wear armor
Why does he get to do that as a sorcerer?
Because he's Totti
if only I could give him some levels in Gladiator....
No matter what your favourite team in the World Cup will be, I think these words from Diego Simeone really show what football is. Let's hope the World Cup will bring us teams that are not bookmakers' favourites but will fight till the end, that will make us love them, will make even those who are not fans admire!
"You have to look at the match as a whole. I think that if you analyse it, Real were on top in the second half; they had us boxed in the middle of the pitch and we couldn't clear our lines, which makes things really difficult against a team with so many options", noted Simeone, who received a standing ovation from the press.
"This is what makes football the beautiful game. People often say that winning is everything, but to be applauded like that by the people who have stood by you reminds you that there is more to football than that. Like I told the players, today's match isn't worth shedding tears over, because when you give your all, you can go out with your head held high".
And when Simeone applauded the 4th goal of Real, he showed himself as the true man.
Are you kidding? He acted like a sore loser after Ronaldo's goal. Coming onto the pitch still complaining about five minutes of injury time when they only scored in the third.
Are you kidding? He acted like a sore loser after Ronaldo's goal. Coming onto the pitch still complaining about five minutes of injury time when they only scored in the third.
If you look at the videos again, you'll see Simeone applauding calmly. Only after the Real defender - Varane - kicked the ball at Simeone during the celebrations, Simeone ran on to the pitch to get a word with him.
In the end, Simeone explained events at a press conference: "Varane provoked me by kicking the ball at me. Us older guys don't like people doing that kind of thing to us". 'El Cholo did want to apologise, however: "I also made a mistake with my reaction. He's a young guy with a bright future".
Having watched it you're right. His reaction is typical of footballers/managers though, acting like a bitch. Same thing at the end of the 90 minutes, having a go at the ref acting like a bitch.
Are you kidding? He acted like a sore loser after Ronaldo's goal. Coming onto the pitch still complaining about five minutes of injury time when they only scored in the third.
Baaahhh... most heartbreaking way to lose. Biggest match. Against your biggest rivals. You lose your most dangerous attacker before the game even starts then your superstar striker limps off after nine minutes. After all that you take an early lead and hold it until the end of regulation time. You survive an onslaught for three minutes stoppage, then concede on a corner (where you NEVER concede) to a defender who costs twice as much as your most expensive player. Then to add insult to injury, you make it through the first half of stoppage time without conceding while your star right back who grew up on your rivals youth team to get injured and then bravely play on... only to get slaughtered in the second half of extra time to create a flattering scoreline for the opposition.
Then after your best season in literally decades you have to witness an even bigger celebration... by your rivals in the SAME CITY.
Football sucks!
But I still love it.
Overall El Cholo is right, and Real were probably worthy winners. It is interesting to think what would have happened if Diego Costa and Arda Turan were playing, but the reality doesn't change. Still an absolutely magical season by Atleti. When I started supporting them in 04 I never thought I'd see them make it to a Champions League final, and I definitely never thought they would win the league when they play in the same competition as Real and Barcelona... who between them won *every* title since I started supporting Atletico until this year. This was a hell of a team, that fought like warriors, and I'd hate to see them broken up too much. I have a lot of affection for these guys and will never forget this season, no matter how tragic the ending.
ONLY 14 days! Only two weeks! I've started the counter at 44 days and now 30 of them are gone! A whole month! YAY! It's closing!
On topic: There's more and more evidence Spain won't win it this time: too much success already.
Casillas (the fact that he's a captain makes it even more telling): "In these last six years we haven't done good things, we have done sensational things. We have earned the right to fail."
And now his new statement: "La Decima is so important, it’s more so than the World Cup."
Dear senior Casillas! Of course, winning the Champions League is huge but to compare it with the WC... What are you thinking about?
And now even their coach, a very respectable professional, says: "Their eyes aren't the same, after winning so much, as when they started out".
@bengoshi He has already won EVERYTHING, so I'm not surprised. If I was a professional footballer, I would also think my professional career more important than national games. I think many do. The error here is saying it bluntly.
I agree with @FinneousPJ in cases where a footballer is playing for the club he grew up supporting or the club with who he developed under their youth team. I think Totti would actually rather win a second Scudetto than a World Cup (he has basically said that already).
Hmm, France might be interesting in the World Cup. -They have a new interesting team, which seems to have amazing morale, they want to make up for the crappy show they put up in 2010 - nice mix of new and old quality players (though maybe a bit too many young players). -Their absolute main goal is the European championship in 2016 - they are hosts - hence they can play with a bit lower pressure than others. Also, noone expects the newly crafted team to win -> less pressure.
-They just beat Norway 4-0 Now, this may not seem like a amazing achievment but consider this: Norway might be a small country which rarely makes it far in international competitions, but the team is usually incredibly well defended and rarely looses with such high numbers. The last time Norway lost by 4 goals was in 1985. Also, France didnt use their best team, amongst others, Ribery was not playing.
ESPN's Fantasy section also has a new game where a person can predict the results of each World Cup game. That's not to dissuade anyone from taking part in any contests here, but I enjoy their system so I thought I would mention that they have this as well as their bracket.
Oh, and the recent friendlies have been interesting. Asian teams have not looked so great, upholding my previous theories so far. The US dropped Landon Donovan in favor of a young team. We will see if this ends up working out.
Friendlies... When did friendlies say anything certain. As soon as I remeber Russia beating Italy right before the previous Euro (and in the tournament Italy went to the final while Russia was humiliated in the group) I think that friendlies can be confusing to say the least.
But nonetheless, @Belteshazzar89 has touched the important topic. Fellow forum members, who will participate in the prediction? When will we start? What do you think about a place where it should be set?
Yeah... this Donovan thing is bothering me. Klinsmann seems to be upset that Donovan took a sabbatical.
I understand coaches wanting to reward the players that helped them qualify, but not only is Donovan the most talented footballer we have produced along with Dempsey... but come on! He is a human being! Taking some time off to spend more time with your family and help your marriage situation is not slacking on your duties, its having the right priorities.
Michael Jordan, the greatest individual athlete in the history of team sports, had lost his motivation and needed to take two years off for family reasons after the death of his father and winning three titles. He came back... and then won three more titles!
Then Klinsmann's son puts out a tweet making fun of Donovan for not making the side saying ""HHAHAHAHAHAHAH DONAVAN HAHAHAHAA I DIDNT EVEN NOTICE UNTIL PHONE NOTIFIED ME HAHA""... real classy man. He's only fifteen but I wonder why he has so little respect. Theory is that Klinsmann and Donovan had personal clashes, which seems to make the most sense (more sense than stupid conspiracy theories that Klinsmann wants the US to lose to his native Germany!)
The other prevailing theory is that he wanted to give younger players a chance. This means that he has given up on this tournament and is building toward a good run in the next Copa America. If so... I think he's nuts. How many players on this US squad will NEVER see the pitch? Why not take Landon Donovan on the bench? If things aren't going our way, we put in our all time top goalscorer and assist-maker. I don't see the logic.
Hmm, France might be interesting in the World Cup. -They have a new interesting team, which seems to have amazing morale, they want to make up for the crappy show they put up in 2010 - nice mix of new and old quality players (though maybe a bit too many young players). -Their absolute main goal is the European championship in 2016 - they are hosts - hence they can play with a bit lower pressure than others. Also, noone expects the newly crafted team to win -> less pressure.
-They just beat Norway 4-0 Now, this may not seem like a amazing achievment but consider this: Norway might be a small country which rarely makes it far in international competitions, but the team is usually incredibly well defended and rarely looses with such high numbers. The last time Norway lost by 4 goals was in 1985. Also, France didnt use their best team, amongst others, Ribery was not playing.
Norway just fired the only coach who took them to a world cup (1994-98) iirc,and have only 1 player/defender on international level.But France have a dangerous midfield from what I've heard from that last game.
BS89's Guide to 2014 World Cup Top 3 Surprise Teams
1. England
I remember watching the World Cup draw, and the online English(man) commenter was ready to throw in the towel when he saw that Uruguay and Italy were in the same group. Now, he may have been half joking, but I have found that many people consider Uruguay and Italy to be the favorites in this group. Now, however, Luis Suarez's status is questionable for the tournament. I have always thought England's team was good enough to make it out of this group. They definitely can play as well as Uruguay or Italy. In addition, if they do make it to the Round of 16, they will be playing someone from the "Group of Life", meaning that they have a decent shot at a top eight finish.
2. Switzerland
We all complained about how Switzerland didn't deserve to be a seed, and many teams were hoping to be in their group. Instead of getting two other teams that could have become 'defacto' seeds, they got France, Ecuador, and Honduras. Many still have France and Switzerland pegged to move on to the next round. While this is more a surprise of the draw than anything else, I think Switzerland have a decent shot to make it to the quarterfinals if they avoid Argentina.
3. Ghana
I've already posted a guide in which I projected that Portugal would be the bottom team of Group G. The basis for that was my perception that Portugal's play was inconsistent and a little CR-dependent. On the other hand, I see Ghana as a consistent team. Admittingly, their recent results haven't been stellar. However, their defense is good and their World Cup track record is one of the best in Africa. I think they have a decent shot of making the quarterfinals.
P.S. The nil-nil draw between Portugal and Greece shows that @booinyoureyes 's hopes can fly high while without Ronaldo Portugal will find it hard to score.
P.S. The nil-nil draw between Portugal and Greece shows that @booinyoureyes 's hopes can fly high while without Ronaldo Portugal will find it hard to score.
My guesses for the group stage. By the end of the first two weeks, I will know how wrong I was this time around. :-)
EDIT: This became a wall of text, so I added spoiler tags.
Group A: Brazil will qualify for the second round. The second place is a bit of a toss-up but my money's on Mexico.
Group B: Spain wins the group and Australia loses. Between the last two teams, my guess is that the Netherlands qualifies for the round of 16, while Chile goes home after three matches.
Group C: A very difficult group to predict. Côte d'Ivoire usually has a strong team, I think this will be the World Cup where they finally get to the round of 16. They will be followed by Colombia. I think...
Group D: Italy will move on, somehow. They always do. I expect England to qualify for the next round, too - they rarely play well but are always determined. Do look out for Uruguay, though!
Group E: France ought to be able to win this group without too much trouble. The second place is a bit of a toss-up but I think Switzerland nicks it.
Group F: Argentina ought to be able to win the group, and Iran will probably take fourth place. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a strong team that can cause trouble for anyone, they will take second place. Except that Nigeria is traditionally one of the best African teams... Watch out!
Group G: The Germans will advance from this group. I expect Portugal to follow them. Ghana and the USA drew the wrong opponents in this tournament.
Group H: Belgium is a strong team and will progress. Russia usually bombs out in big tournaments so the second team to advance will be the Republic of Korea or Algeria. My money's on the Koreans.
While I'm making predictions, here are my bets for the World Champion:
1) Brazil. For two reasons: Never underestimate the home team, and never underestimate Brazil.
2) Argentina. If they can get things to work and the coach isn't Maradona, they are a strong contender.
3) Germany. As Gary Lineker said, a football match lasts 2x45 minutes and the Germans win in the end. A European team has never won a World Cup in the Americas, but Germany could change that. They often start off playing horribly, arguing internally on the team, and somehow progress through the tournament anyway - getting better and better on the way.
4) Spain. If they can get their tiki-taka football to work, Spain is deadly to anyone. If they can't, well - then tiki-taka just means lots of ball possession in the center field.
5) Italy. Also a team that often gets far, and they can cause trouble for any opponent.
Runners-up: Portugal is too dependent on Ronaldo, England and France are too unstable and will lose at least one match in the knockout stage.
Group C: Very tight group, Japan will go through, Columbia and Ivory Coast will fight for second
Group Italy, England. Uruguay are overrated, talk all u want abt Suarez, Cavani and Forlan, but without Suarez, Cavani is terrible, Forlan is old and let's face it, their midfield is not that good and aside from Godin their defence is terrible.
Group E: France, Switzerland
Group F: Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina/Nigeria
If nothing extraordinary happens, then Brazil and Germany will win their groups respectively. In this case, taking into account their strengths and ratings, they will inevitably meet each other in the semifinal game. This will be the match to watch, that's for sure. I have a feeling this match will be better than final. And this is when, I think, the burden of the task to win the WC at home will become too much for Brazil. This pressure combined with the fact they don't have a solid goalie (his good years are behind) will mean that in a battle of two even sides Germany will win.
In the other part of the tournament we'll have Argentina that no doubt about it will do everything to win at the area of their neighbour. Messi should play like he can, Di Maria will dribble, Aguero will pass and deliver. Their attacking threat is overwhelming. From the list of their potent rivals (Belgium, Portugal) Argentina looks more promising. This will bring Argentina into a semifinal game as well. I'm somewhat sure that they win their semifinal, at least because Messi will want to play in the final more than anyone, probably: he's tired of constant comparisons with Pele and Maradona.
So, we'll have a Germany vs Argentina final. The Germans will feel themselves exhausted after the Brazil game, they will feel themselves already having done a huge major thing of overcoming a favourite and the home nation. This will lead to the Argentina win in the final.
Of course, these are only my guesses but I've given them a several-weeks-thought.
My predictions regarding groups:
Brazil, Croatia
Spain, Netherlands
Japan, Greece
Italy, England
France, Switzerland
Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Germany, Portugal
Belgium, Russia
Should we give predictions to each games as they go by? I've planned it from the start but do you guys think it's a good idea? Will it be difficult?
P.S. @Metalloman Ohh, sorry, I've thought after looking at your hilarious football GIFs in the GIF thread that you like football.
Comments
Because both players are on the list of seven reserve players!
Well, the ESPN's game is fine but the thing is I and many others have this site as the most visited site. We like this forum and would be glad to find any information here, in one place. We've signed in here and it would require additional and from my point of view unnecessary efforts to sign in ESPN from us. It would also limit the number of participants in some way because there're not many BG fans here already and if we use any additional site the number will be even less.
This is the reason I offer to organise the prediction game here.
If we were to make a party of footballers from our favorite sides who would they be?
Roma (my all time favorites)
Cafu: Bard. He smiles way too much to be anything else
Carlo Ancelotti: Rogue. Carletto would just disappear and ghost past defenders, so hide in shadows is perfect for him
He was with Milan at the time, but tell me this isn't "hide in plain sight"
Vincenzo Montella would also make a great swashbuckler!
Damiano Tommasi: Cleric. He is possibly the most philanthropic and selfless footballer ever to play the game. He donated so much to children's hospitals that it would be fitting to make him a healer
Gabriel Batistuta: Barbarian. Skillful and fierce? Totally him. Besides, he TOTALLY looks like one
Skald would also work, due to his famous guitar celebration. De Rossi would also be a barbarian, but barely misses out.
Aldair: Paladin. Pure warrior in defense who was also a squeaky clean player. Typical Lawful Good Badass. He also has that serious paladin LG rejection of pomp and ceremony (they retired the number six in his number in his honor. This was the only number Roma ever retired... then Aldair requested that they use it. I'm convinced Kevin Strootman is Roma's best player now due to wearing this number)
Totti: Sorcerer Level Infinity
Because everything he does is F@%$ing magical
Though he gets to break the rules and wear armor
Why does he get to do that as a sorcerer?
Because he's Totti
No matter what your favourite team in the World Cup will be, I think these words from Diego Simeone really show what football is. Let's hope the World Cup will bring us teams that are not bookmakers' favourites but will fight till the end, that will make us love them, will make even those who are not fans admire!
"You have to look at the match as a whole. I think that if you analyse it, Real were on top in the second half; they had us boxed in the middle of the pitch and we couldn't clear our lines, which makes things really difficult against a team with so many options", noted Simeone, who received a standing ovation from the press.
"This is what makes football the beautiful game. People often say that winning is everything, but to be applauded like that by the people who have stood by you reminds you that there is more to football than that. Like I told the players, today's match isn't worth shedding tears over, because when you give your all, you can go out with your head held high".
And when Simeone applauded the 4th goal of Real, he showed himself as the true man.
If you look at the videos again, you'll see Simeone applauding calmly. Only after the Real defender - Varane - kicked the ball at Simeone during the celebrations, Simeone ran on to the pitch to get a word with him.
http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/diego-simeone-v-raphael-varane-videos-of-why-it-all-kicked-off-at-end-of-real-madrid-4-atletico-madrid-1/
In the end, Simeone explained events at a press conference: "Varane provoked me by kicking the ball at me. Us older guys don't like people doing that kind of thing to us". 'El Cholo did want to apologise, however: "I also made a mistake with my reaction. He's a young guy with a bright future".
Edit: Ninja'd by Bengoshi!
Then after your best season in literally decades you have to witness an even bigger celebration... by your rivals in the SAME CITY.
Football sucks!
But I still love it.
Overall El Cholo is right, and Real were probably worthy winners. It is interesting to think what would have happened if Diego Costa and Arda Turan were playing, but the reality doesn't change. Still an absolutely magical season by Atleti. When I started supporting them in 04 I never thought I'd see them make it to a Champions League final, and I definitely never thought they would win the league when they play in the same competition as Real and Barcelona... who between them won *every* title since I started supporting Atletico until this year. This was a hell of a team, that fought like warriors, and I'd hate to see them broken up too much. I have a lot of affection for these guys and will never forget this season, no matter how tragic the ending.
Aupa Atleti now and always!
On topic: There's more and more evidence Spain won't win it this time: too much success already.
Casillas (the fact that he's a captain makes it even more telling): "In these last six years we haven't done good things, we have done sensational things. We have earned the right to fail."
And now his new statement: "La Decima is so important, it’s more so than the World Cup."
Dear senior Casillas! Of course, winning the Champions League is huge but to compare it with the WC... What are you thinking about?
And now even their coach, a very respectable professional, says: "Their eyes aren't the same, after winning so much, as when they started out".
-They have a new interesting team, which seems to have amazing morale, they want to make up for the crappy show they put up in 2010 - nice mix of new and old quality players (though maybe a bit too many young players).
-Their absolute main goal is the European championship in 2016 - they are hosts - hence they can play with a bit lower pressure than others. Also, noone expects the newly crafted team to win -> less pressure.
-They just beat Norway 4-0
Now, this may not seem like a amazing achievment but consider this:
Norway might be a small country which rarely makes it far in international competitions, but the team is usually incredibly well defended and rarely looses with such high numbers. The last time Norway lost by 4 goals was in 1985.
Also, France didnt use their best team, amongst others, Ribery was not playing.
ESPN's Fantasy section also has a new game where a person can predict the results of each World Cup game. That's not to dissuade anyone from taking part in any contests here, but I enjoy their system so I thought I would mention that they have this as well as their bracket.
Oh, and the recent friendlies have been interesting. Asian teams have not looked so great, upholding my previous theories so far. The US dropped Landon Donovan in favor of a young team. We will see if this ends up working out.
But nonetheless, @Belteshazzar89 has touched the important topic. Fellow forum members, who will participate in the prediction? When will we start? What do you think about a place where it should be set?
I understand coaches wanting to reward the players that helped them qualify, but not only is Donovan the most talented footballer we have produced along with Dempsey... but come on! He is a human being! Taking some time off to spend more time with your family and help your marriage situation is not slacking on your duties, its having the right priorities.
Michael Jordan, the greatest individual athlete in the history of team sports, had lost his motivation and needed to take two years off for family reasons after the death of his father and winning three titles. He came back... and then won three more titles!
Then Klinsmann's son puts out a tweet making fun of Donovan for not making the side saying ""HHAHAHAHAHAHAH DONAVAN HAHAHAHAA I DIDNT EVEN NOTICE UNTIL PHONE NOTIFIED ME HAHA""... real classy man. He's only fifteen but I wonder why he has so little respect. Theory is that Klinsmann and Donovan had personal clashes, which seems to make the most sense (more sense than stupid conspiracy theories that Klinsmann wants the US to lose to his native Germany!)
The other prevailing theory is that he wanted to give younger players a chance. This means that he has given up on this tournament and is building toward a good run in the next Copa America. If so... I think he's nuts. How many players on this US squad will NEVER see the pitch? Why not take Landon Donovan on the bench? If things aren't going our way, we put in our all time top goalscorer and assist-maker. I don't see the logic.
1. England
I remember watching the World Cup draw, and the online English(man) commenter was ready to throw in the towel when he saw that Uruguay and Italy were in the same group. Now, he may have been half joking, but I have found that many people consider Uruguay and Italy to be the favorites in this group. Now, however, Luis Suarez's status is questionable for the tournament. I have always thought England's team was good enough to make it out of this group. They definitely can play as well as Uruguay or Italy. In addition, if they do make it to the Round of 16, they will be playing someone from the "Group of Life", meaning that they have a decent shot at a top eight finish.
2. Switzerland
We all complained about how Switzerland didn't deserve to be a seed, and many teams were hoping to be in their group. Instead of getting two other teams that could have become 'defacto' seeds, they got France, Ecuador, and Honduras. Many still have France and Switzerland pegged to move on to the next round. While this is more a surprise of the draw than anything else, I think Switzerland have a decent shot to make it to the quarterfinals if they avoid Argentina.
3. Ghana
I've already posted a guide in which I projected that Portugal would be the bottom team of Group G. The basis for that was my perception that Portugal's play was inconsistent and a little CR-dependent. On the other hand, I see Ghana as a consistent team. Admittingly, their recent results haven't been stellar. However, their defense is good and their World Cup track record is one of the best in Africa. I think they have a decent shot of making the quarterfinals.
I've updated the OP.
Make your prediction now!
Today is the last day for coaches to name their final squads.
This weekend we've found out the final teams of Spain, Italy, Croatia, Holland, Uruguay:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2014/spain-world-cup-squad-fernando-3629837
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/4961/international-football/2014/06/01/4854471/rossi-left-out-of-italys-23-man-world-cup-squad
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/ivan-mocinic-is-surprise-inclusion-in-croatias-23man-world-cup-squad/475821-5-21.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2014/article-2644650/Louis-van-Gaal-names-Hollands-23-man-World-Cup-squad-ahead-Ghana-friendly.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2014/article-2644794/Luis-Suarez-named-Uruguays-23-man-World-Cup-squad-despite-knee-injury.html
See also:
http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2014/5/19/5732296/world-cup-2014-squads-portugal
http://greece.greekreporter.com/2014/05/19/greece-squad-for-brazil-world-cup-announced/
P.S. The nil-nil draw between Portugal and Greece shows that @booinyoureyes 's hopes can fly high while without Ronaldo Portugal will find it hard to score.
P.S.S. I'd like to invite @Metalloman here
EDIT: This became a wall of text, so I added spoiler tags.
Group A: Brazil will qualify for the second round. The second place is a bit of a toss-up but my money's on Mexico.
Group B: Spain wins the group and Australia loses. Between the last two teams, my guess is that the Netherlands qualifies for the round of 16, while Chile goes home after three matches.
Group C: A very difficult group to predict. Côte d'Ivoire usually has a strong team, I think this will be the World Cup where they finally get to the round of 16. They will be followed by Colombia. I think...
Group D: Italy will move on, somehow. They always do. I expect England to qualify for the next round, too - they rarely play well but are always determined. Do look out for Uruguay, though!
Group E: France ought to be able to win this group without too much trouble. The second place is a bit of a toss-up but I think Switzerland nicks it.
Group F: Argentina ought to be able to win the group, and Iran will probably take fourth place. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a strong team that can cause trouble for anyone, they will take second place. Except that Nigeria is traditionally one of the best African teams... Watch out!
Group G: The Germans will advance from this group. I expect Portugal to follow them. Ghana and the USA drew the wrong opponents in this tournament.
Group H: Belgium is a strong team and will progress. Russia usually bombs out in big tournaments so the second team to advance will be the Republic of Korea or Algeria. My money's on the Koreans.
While I'm making predictions, here are my bets for the World Champion:
1) Brazil. For two reasons: Never underestimate the home team, and never underestimate Brazil.
2) Argentina. If they can get things to work and the coach isn't Maradona, they are a strong contender.
3) Germany. As Gary Lineker said, a football match lasts 2x45 minutes and the Germans win in the end. A European team has never won a World Cup in the Americas, but Germany could change that. They often start off playing horribly, arguing internally on the team, and somehow progress through the tournament anyway - getting better and better on the way.
4) Spain. If they can get their tiki-taka football to work, Spain is deadly to anyone. If they can't, well - then tiki-taka just means lots of ball possession in the center field.
5) Italy. Also a team that often gets far, and they can cause trouble for any opponent.
Runners-up: Portugal is too dependent on Ronaldo, England and France are too unstable and will lose at least one match in the knockout stage.
Thanks anyway for your invitation, but I really dont know how to participate with you all here, I'm pretty ignorant about football.
I'll put in my predictions later this week
Group A: Brazil, Croatia
Group B: Spain, Netherlands
Group C: Very tight group, Japan will go through, Columbia and Ivory Coast will fight for second
Group
Group E: France, Switzerland
Group F: Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina/Nigeria
Group G: Germany, Portugal
Group H: Belgium, Algeria
In the other part of the tournament we'll have Argentina that no doubt about it will do everything to win at the area of their neighbour. Messi should play like he can, Di Maria will dribble, Aguero will pass and deliver. Their attacking threat is overwhelming. From the list of their potent rivals (Belgium, Portugal) Argentina looks more promising. This will bring Argentina into a semifinal game as well. I'm somewhat sure that they win their semifinal, at least because Messi will want to play in the final more than anyone, probably: he's tired of constant comparisons with Pele and Maradona.
So, we'll have a Germany vs Argentina final. The Germans will feel themselves exhausted after the Brazil game, they will feel themselves already having done a huge major thing of overcoming a favourite and the home nation. This will lead to the Argentina win in the final.
Of course, these are only my guesses but I've given them a several-weeks-thought.
My predictions regarding groups:
Brazil, Croatia
Spain, Netherlands
Japan, Greece
Italy, England
France, Switzerland
Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Germany, Portugal
Belgium, Russia
Should we give predictions to each games as they go by? I've planned it from the start but do you guys think it's a good idea? Will it be difficult?
P.S. @Metalloman Ohh, sorry, I've thought after looking at your hilarious football GIFs in the GIF thread that you like football.