Fifa World Cup Russia 2018

[unrated]

The World Cup starts in 5 days from now. It will most likely dominate the media over the next month.

I have started a public superbru prediction pool for the world cup.
Anyone is welcome to join here are the details:

Pool name: World Cup Russia Predictor

Pool code: etchgold

Here are my contenders for the trophy:

1.Belgium seems to be like the strongest team with a golden generation. Star player: Eden Hazard

2. France has some serious talent all over the park but especially in the attack. (Mbappe, Dembele, Griezman)

3.Spain: They have a team made up of mostly Barca and Real players with players from other football giants to fill the spots. Their recent results should make opponents fear them. I think they are much stronger than Germany this year. Star Player: Their combinations! Ramos/Pique Iniesta/Thiago/Isco

4. Germany: Current world champions, stars all over the park but something just doesn't feel right about them this year. They seem a bit off it. Also it was a mistake leaving Gotze out. Star Player: Toni Kroos

5.Brazil: Obviously a good team with individual talent and players with mass experience in Europe. But i think they are overated and will come unstuck against any of the above teams. Star player: Neymar

6. Argentina: They have Messi, so should be competitive, maybe even a suprise run to the final? But without Messi they aren't really top contender threats. Yea guys like Dybala and Aguero is world class, but the rest of the team just doesn't seem up to the standards of the other top contenders. Mascherano is past it. Otamendi is one shining beacon in defence. Star player: Messi

7. England: They have some good players here and there but for me there is two factors that will negate their potential. the mere presence of Phil Jones at the world cup. And the fact that Kane is the captain, a players that's probably more overrated than the Brazil national team. Star player: Deli Ali


8. Portugal : Them winning the Euros was a fluke. Cant see them doing well at all. Spain will destroy their hopes in their first group game. Star player: Ronaldo

 

[Bada-Bing!]

 

[Bada-Bing!]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43956267

Name all the losing finalists since 1930 in 3 mins. Managed to get 8/9.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43956267

Name all the losing finalists since 1930 in 3 mins. Managed to get 8/9.

8/9 too, the country I missed stopped existing before I was born so I could have been there for a month and not got it potentially!

I'm not as hyped as usual about this cup, I think the embarrassing nature of our exit in the preliminaries has everyone in the country wanting to pretend it isn't on!

 

[bushytop]

8/9 spelt '34 & '62 wrong... would have been 9 if I could spell!

 

[Bada-Bing!]

8/9 too, the country I missed stopped existing before I was born so I could have been there for a month and not got it potentially!

I'm not as hyped as usual about this cup, I think the embarrassing nature of our exit in the preliminaries has everyone in the country wanting to pretend it isn't on!

That was the country I missed too. 1934/1962 finalists.

Yeah I am strangely apathetic about this World Cup. I don't rate this England side. If they get out of the group I think that would be deemed a success.

I'll be selective on the matches I watch. Just hope the hard core element of the England fans are stopped getting out there. Still, if they do go (and many will fin a way) and get their heads kicked in or worse, then won't have much sympathy from me.

 

[Leinster Fan]

7/9, I forgot one really obvious European country and 1958 threw me.

 

[die_mole]

6/9* my excuse is that I went to american public high school^ so I don't know geography and soccer only started in 1994.

I'm not too interested not just cause the USA isn't in it but I'll be living in an Afrikaan majority city during the cup.

* nice
^ thanks mom and dad

 

[unrated]

The Spain vs Portugal game in the first round interests me.

Portugal will be keen to show everyone that they are actually quality and that they won the Euros for a reason. Ronaldo will be on a mission to get portugal as far as possible. I think Portugal missed out by leaving Andre Gomes and Nelson Semedo out of the squad.

Spain has a great team once again, but reports coming out of the spain camp is that Pique has been injured in training. This makes be ask, Has Ramos struck again? The guy is injuring people all around him.

So the winner of pool B (The group with Spain and Portugal) will face the runner up of pool A (Russia, Uruguay and Egypt). im betting that Uruguay will win their group so if Spain can win this game vs Portugal then Portugal can avoid Uruguay in the round of 16. Spain will then either have to face hosts Russia or a potentially Mo Salah inspired Egypt.

 

[unrated]

I'll be living in an Afrikaan majority city during the cup.

What is that? African majority city?

 

[die_mole]

What is that? African majority city?

Stellenbosch

 

[unrated]

Stellenbosch

Ah very beautiful city, lots of classy girls from the nearby University, though i'm afraid you have picked the wrong date to visit as IMO it will be a ghost town over the coming month. All the students are finishing their exams now and will head to the other areas of South Africa. The students is the life of that town so it will be very empty.

 

[die_mole]

Ah very beautiful city, lots of classy girls from the nearby University, though i'm afraid you have picked the wrong date to visit as IMO it will be a ghost town over the coming month. All the students are finishing their exams now and will head to the other areas of South Africa. The students is the life of that town so it will be very empty.

I've heard all about the women here... unfortunately with how the hemispheres different school schedules lineup I had to come earlier than I wanted to.

Leaving in August so hopefully I can catch some coeds when hey come back.

 

[unrated]

 

[unrated]

Spain has done very well under their coach Julen Lopetegui. They had a good run at the qualifiers. I don't think they have even lost one game in the last two years!
Then it is announced two days before the world cup that after the tournament he would be taking the vacant Real Madrid post.

Spain felt betrayed and has now fired their coach one day before the world cup. Serves him right though. He was a national team manager of one of the best sides in the game, he should have had immense pride in leading such a talented team to the world cup. That should have been his main priority, after the world cup he can do what he wants, but then he sabotages the Spanish training in a way by drawing attention away from the national team. Not to mention that it would have caused rifts between the Madrid and Barca players in the squad.

Maybe this also explains the omission of Sergi Roberto! Is it too late for him to be called up?
Spains chances to win this have suddenly dropped dramatically. Some sides prepare for the world cup for years, now their new coach will have to overcome jet lag to Russia before he even has one training session.

The favourites to replace him are Luis Enrique and Arsene Wenger. But don't count out Pep Guardiola to fill in just for the World Cup.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Spain has done very well under their coach Julen Lopetegui. They had a good run at the qualifiers. I don't think they have even lost one game in the last two years!
Then it is announced two days before the world cup that after the tournament he would be taking the vacant Real Madrid post.

Spain felt betrayed and has now fired their coach one day before the world cup. Serves him right though. He was a national team manager of one of the best sides in the game, he should have had immense pride in leading such a talented team to the world cup. That should have been his main priority, after the world cup he can do what he wants, but then he sabotages the Spanish training in a way by drawing attention away from the national team. Not to mention that it would have caused rifts between the Madrid and Barca players in the squad.

Maybe this also explains the omission of Sergi Roberto! Is it too late for him to be called up?
Spains chances to win this have suddenly dropped dramatically. Some sides prepare for the world cup for years, now their new coach will have to overcome jet lag to Russia before he even has one training session.

The favourites to replace him are Luis Enrique and Arsene Wenger. But don't count out Pep Guardiola to fill in just for the World Cup.

So I guess the bookies are having a field day now...

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43956267

Name all the losing finalists since 1930 in 3 mins. Managed to get 8/9.

One of the questions is wrong.

By the way, i take it you guys haven't heard, so sit down: Spanish Fed fired Lopetegui, today, 1 day before wc starts.
I'll let you digest the news before i give you my take.

 

[TRF_heineken]

One of the questions is wrong.

By the way, i take it you guys haven't heard, so sit down: Spanish Fed fired Lopetegui, today, 1 day before wc starts.
I'll let you digest the news before i give you my take.

yup. Look at @unrated's post before yours. He mentions it in his post in the second paragraph.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Haha, someone managed to make the Irish Saipan debacle in 2002 look competent.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

It's a very interesting situation for a non involved bystander.
What i find incredible, is that he was fired out of principles.

My heart says "outstanding, brilliant". I wouldn't have done it myself but i applaud it. I wouldn't have done it because 1) i probably lack the balls to make such a drastic call 2) short term it's bad for the team and long term it is impossible to know.

What surprised me the most was the people's reaction. I immediately talked to my spanish friends and read the comments from pretty much all spanish sport newspapers. I expected a somewhat divided opinion, even more people siding with "this is ridiculous from Rubiales, he lost it". What i found was that pretty much every non RM supporter sided with Rubiales, which is nothing short of amazing.
The most repeated phrase was "what if barca had done it?" and they have a point. It just feels like the used a tank to kill a mosquito. But it was tank or nothing and the mosquito bit the hand precisely because he assumed no one would dare use a tank to kill him.

RM will get a lot of love whenever the play away.

It is not uncommon to put club before country in footie, in fact it's not rare at all. But this, this is something quite extreme.

What a bloody start!