2018 World Cup

[Pies4shaw]

[HAL]

We are all in a global village.

[K]

After Optus Sport fail, SBS to simulcast rest of 2018 World Cup

https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/after-optus-sport-fail-sbs-to-simulcast-rest-of-2018-world-cup-20180628-p4zoaf.html

[Jezza]

[Jezza]

The World Cup winner curse strikes again.

4 out of the last 5 World Cup winners have failed to progress from the group stage of the next respective World Cup.

France = 1998 (Champions), 2002 (fail to advance to the knockout stages)
Italy = 2006 (Champions), 2010 (fail to advance to the knockout stages)
Spain = 2010 (Champions), 2014 (fail to advance to the knockout stages)
Germany = 2014 (Champions), 2018 (fail to advance to the knockout stages)

Brazil (2002 champions) are the only country to withstand the trend in the last 20 years by advancing to the knockout stages in 2006, but they were eliminated by France in the quarter final stages.

[Jezza]

Mexico 0-3 Sweden

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/44439277

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHT6V1SpmNA

Goals:
Sweden - 50' (Augustinsson)
Sweden - 62' (Granqvist) - Penalty
Sweden - 74' (Alvarez) - Own Goal

South Korea 2-0 Germany

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/44439270

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKjV2SQfKrw

Goals:
South Korea - 90' (Young-Gwon)
South Korea - 90' (Heung-Min)

Serbia 0-2 Brazil

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/44439284

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dusyi-4pMs

Goals:
Brazil - 36' (Paulinho)
Brazil - 68' (Thiago Silva)

Switzerland 2-2 Costa Rica

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/44439291

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izvscMabH8o

Goals:
Switzerland - 31' (Dzemaili)
Costa Rica - 56' (Waston)
Switzerland - 88 (Drmic)
Costa Rica - 90' (Sommer) - Own Goal

[Jezza]

Tonight's Matches:

Japan v Poland - 12am EST


Senegal v Colombia - 12am EST


Panama v Tunisia - 4am EST

England v Belgium - 4am EST

[K]

Why were Germany wearing green (or cyan or whatever it is)? Have they done this before? I don't recall seeing it before.

[Pies4shaw]

They wore something equally as silly in Italia '90 I seem to have vague recollections of nightmares about Matthaus dressed as a leprechaun. I don't know if they've done so, since. It's like seeing the Dutch or Brazil in their royal blue strips - It. Just. Isn't. Right.

At the risk of there being larger than usual helpings of sambal sotong (as to which, see other defunct thread) dished up over the coming week, my predictions are that the round of 16 winners will be France, Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Brazil, Belgium, Sweden and Colombia.

[Jezza]

Japan 0-1 Poland

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/44439298

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7pVlD8Q660

Goals:
Poland - 59' (Bednarek)

Senegal 0-1 Colombia

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/44439305

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CRmHuN-O84

Goals:
Colombia - 74' (Mina)

Panama 1-2 Tunisia

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/44439319

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc9zirKrT0Q

Goals:
Panama - 33' (Meriah) - Own Goal
Tunisia - 51' (Ben Youssef)
Tunisia - 66' (Khazri)

England 0-1 Belgium

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/44439312

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5F1hqWW_5w

Goals:
Belgium - 51' (Januzaj)

[Jezza]

Final Group Ladder:

Group A:
1). Uruguay 9
2). Russia 6
3). Saudi Arabia 3
4). Egypt 0

Group B:
1). Spain 5
2). Portugal 5
3). Iran 4
4). Morocco 1

Group C:
1). France 7
2). Denmark 5
3). Peru 3
4). Australia 1

Group D:
1). Croatia 9
2). Argentina 4
3). Nigeria 3
4). Iceland 1

Group E:
1). Brazil 7
2). Switzerland 5
3). Serbia 3
4). Costa Rica 1

Group F:
1). Sweden 6
2). Mexico 6
3). South Korea 3
4). Germany 3

Group G:
1). Belgium 9
2). England 6
3). Tunisia 3
4). Panama 0

Group H:
1). Colombia 6
2). Japan 4
3). Senegal 4
4). Poland 3

BOLD = Qualified to the Knockout Stages
UNBOLDED = Elimination

Round of 16 Matches:
France v Argentina
Uruguay v Portugal
Spain v Russia
Croatia v Denmark
Brazil v Mexico
Belgium v Japan
Sweden v Switzerland
Colombia v England

[K]

[Pies4shaw]

So, when is the restricted free agent period? Robben for mine. Or perhaps we could put together a deal with Belgium involving future picks for Lukaku - maybe we could offer up Kewell’s first two father/sons?

[Jezza]

Tonight's Matches:

France v Argentina - 12am EST


Uruguay v Portugal - 4am EST

[Pies4shaw]

Game 1:

So, Messi's last chance to show that he is worthy of being spoken of in the same breath as Diego Armando. Personally, I doubt it. His team is almost as useless as the one Diego carried into the 1990 Final. Diego could carry a team - he was a genuine one-man show. Messi so far - bereft of the talent on the Barca list - not so much. Anyway, I'll be barracking for him, as I was 4 years ago. I'd like to see him succeed - it's just that my head tells me he isn't up to it.

France 3, Argentina 0. I hope I'm badly, badly wrong.

Game 2:

Once upon a time, a proper Uruguay team had dour, close-marking defenders (for which, read "hired killers") who would have sorted Ronaldo right out - and given him something genuine to dive repeatedly into the turf over. Will that happen tonight? I don't know, I slept through most of Uruguay's group games. Still, they looked up for the contest during the bits I was awake for.

Prediction - Uruguay 2, Portugal 1. Uruguay to hold on in the final 8 minutes after the keeper is sent off for a bad foul outside the area (adopting the time-honoured manner of defending for Uruguay in international tournaments).