2018 FIFA World Cup Megathread

[Fartsniffage]

Fucking Danny Rose. In a game where neither side really wants to score he still managed to cock up marking an average winger so badly that the Belgians had no option but to score.

[DesAnges]

Meh. I have no love for the English national team anyway so I'm not entirely arsed if they do well or not. But I don't think it matters unduly - they should dispatch a rather shoddy Colombia.

You never know, now they're through Colombia could well switch up a gear. Either way, best tournament we've had for a while hope-wise which is nice.

Welsh flag, supports England. Ruh roh.

[Shofercia]

Because Germany's out of the World Cup, and the Round of 16 begins on Saturday, and I'd much rather focus on teams that are playing, so had to get my fun making out of the way

Yeah, but Nazi jokes? Really? There are all sorts of things Germans do that make good joke material. But Nazi jokes aren't even really jokes. They're just insults.

Whoops, just looked it up on Ubran Dictionary - you're right, it's a reference, I had no idea. I meant "not see" as in completely ignorant that Germany's opposition, Mexico, was manhandling their formation like a bitch. I didn't realize it was also a reference to Nazis. My mistake. Do you want me to edit my post and cross that off?

[Blaneu]

You never know, now they're through Colombia could well switch up a gear. Either way, best tournament we've had for a while hope-wise which is nice.

Welsh flag, supports England. Ruh roh.

Ah that's oddly unrelated, I don't even really know what laverbread is

Also, regardless of the result tonight, we're still in the tournament. If you offered me the scenario we're now in at the start of the tournament I would've bitten your hand off.

[Riemstagrad]

That was a rather weird game...

Anyway, it was ok to watch and no one got injured.

Good luck in your next games, England!
We'll make it a real match when we meet eachother in the final again

[Darmen]

Updated predictions! Original

Round of Sixteen:
Portugal over Uruguay
France over Argentina
Brazil over Mexico
Belgium over Japan
Spain over Russia
Croatia over Denmark
Switzerland over Sweden
England over Colombia

Quarterfinals:
France over Portugal
Brazil over Belgium
Spain over Croatia
England over Switzerland (GASP!)

Semifinals:
France over Brazil
Spain over England

Third Place Playoff:
Brazil over England

Final:
France over Spain

[Esternial]

Since Germany was my backup I'm now assigning Croatia as my backup favourite.

I liked them last time and they haven't disappointed this one.

[DesAnges]

Welsh flag, supports England. Ruh roh.

Ah that's oddly unrelated, I don't even really know what laverbread is

Also, regardless of the result tonight, we're still in the tournament. If you offered me the scenario we're now in at the start of the tournament I would've bitten your hand off.

It's a fair point. This England team aren't bad, if the FA and England fans in general weren't so fucking insufferable I might have been able to get behind them.

[Blaneu]

Ah that's oddly unrelated, I don't even really know what laverbread is

Also, regardless of the result tonight, we're still in the tournament. If you offered me the scenario we're now in at the start of the tournament I would've bitten your hand off.

It's a fair point. This England team aren't bad, if the FA and England fans in general weren't so fucking insufferable I might have been able to get behind them.

Not all England fans are insufferable, the band can sod off though. Also, there seems a definite trend for the cameras picking out young, attractive, fans in all games bar England ones where they seem to pan to larger, older, balder blokes.

[Riemstagrad]

It's a fair point. This England team aren't bad, if the FA and England fans in general weren't so fucking insufferable I might have been able to get behind them.

Not all England fans are insufferable, the band can sod off though. Also, there seems a definite trend for the cameras picking out young, attractive, fans in all games bar England ones where they seem to pan to larger, older, balder blokes.

Maybe those blokes ARE the most attractive fans of England?

[Yaana Noore]

It's a fair point. This England team aren't bad, if the FA and England fans in general weren't so fucking insufferable I might have been able to get behind them.

Not all England fans are insufferable, the band can sod off though. Also, there seems a definite trend for the cameras picking out young, attractive, fans in all games bar England ones where they seem to pan to larger, older, balder blokes.

Have you never been to an England game before? It's all those kinds of people. As soon as I entered the vicinity of Wembley Stadium I began to feel my hair thinning. My waistline expanded before my very eyes until it bloated out of my England shirt and I could see my three lions tattoo along the stomach exposed. I quickly developed a cockney accent and an inexplicable affection for West Ham. Along Wembley Way I struck an affinity with some like-minded fellows all of whom's named ended with the letter z while they were belting out mismatched lyrics to the two version of Three Lions as well as Ten German bombers in the air. Multiple Carling cans were thrust into my hands. Despite not being born at the time I was suddenly filled with the fondest memories of Euro '96 and that win against the Netherlands. Glenn Hoddle went from drooling moron to unappreciated genius, the sage of ITV and free speech martyr against the PC brigade, so cruelly sacked when on the verge of brilliance. We quickly gathered in block 134 with our smuggled £6 Carlsberg bottles and began singing along with the England band, while berating the team on the pitch and bemoaning the absence of Jonjo Shelvey, Glenn Murray and Big Andy Carroll.

The actual answer is that it's funny. Watching football outside of England and Wales I have noticed that there seems to be less of those type of people though. A shame.

[Bombadil]

Updated predictions! Original

Round of Sixteen:
Portugal over Uruguay
France over Argentina
Brazil over Mexico
Belgium over Japan
Spain over Russia
Croatia over Denmark
Switzerland over Sweden
England over Colombia

Quarterfinals:
France over Portugal
Brazil over Belgium
Spain over Croatia
England over Switzerland (GASP!)

Semifinals:
France over Brazil
Spain over England

Third Place Playoff:
Brazil over England

Final:
France over Spain

Round of Sixteen:
Uruguay over Portugal - I think Uruguay have a strong chance to take this with a better overall team
France over Argentina - given France finally step up and Messi doesn't have a blistering game
Brazil over Mexico - fair enough
Belgium over Japan - sure
Spain over Russia - yup
Croatia over Denmark - I quite like Croatia
Sweden over Switzerland - I suspect Sweden's long ball hoofing tactics will work
England over Colombia - eesh.. I just haven't seen Colombia play so merely out of patriotism I'll let this stand

Quarterfinals:
France over Uruguay - though could be an upset
Belgium over Brazil - I think Belgium could do this
Spain over Croatia - game of this round for me
England over Sweden - or Colombia depending..

Well here I go into fantasy land to make up for last night's snooze fest..

Semifinals:
Belgium over France
England over Spain

Third Place Playoff:
Spain over France

Final:
England vs. Belgium - two teams enter, one team leaves..

Though honestly I agree with a Spain-France final.

[MERIZoC]

nO

its been 16 years, that counts as a dry spell

Brazil's first dry spell lasted from 1930 to 1958, 28 years.

Its second dry spell lasted from 1970 to 1994, 24 years.

Its third dry spell is ongoing since 2002, 16 years thus far.

Give them another 16 years, and you may have a point.

Higher standards for a better team

[MERIZoC]

Told myself I wouldn't make predictions until the round of 16 so here we go.

Ro16:

Uruguay
Portugal

France
Argentina

Brazil
Mexico

Belgium
Japan

Spain
Russia

Croatia
Denmark

Sweden
Switzerland

Colombia
England

Quarters:

France
Portugal

Brazil
Belgium

Spain
Croatia

Switzerland
England

Semis:

France
Brazil

Spain
England

Brazil to take the final, France 3rd place.


Perhaps I'm an eternal optimist but this is my best bet. I'm least sure about Uruguay since we haven't seen them play a strong team yet. Switzerland might also beat England, Croatia could beat Spain, and France could beat us.

[Starblaydia]

Also, there seems a definite trend for the cameras picking out young, attractive, fans in all games bar England ones where they seem to pan to larger, older, balder blokes.

"Spot the babe" has been a trend with cameramen as far back as I can remember in World Cups and tournaments in other sports. It was certainly a thing in the 96 Euros and the 98 World Cup. At the average England match, though, not so much.

[Nimzonia]

I can't see England beating Colombia, to be honest.

[Arumdaum]

im rooting for mexico

[The Blaatschapen]

I can't see England beating Colombia, to be honest.

I can. With a bit of luck a semi final against Spain.

There it is done though.

[Fartsniffage]

I can't see England beating Colombia, to be honest.

We've never actually lost to them so...

[Baltenstein]

Predictions and stuff:

Round of 16:

France - Argentina

Uruguay - Portugal

Spain - Russia

Croatia - Denmark

Brazil - Mexico

Belgium - Japan

Sweden - Switzerland

Colombia - England

Quarter-Finals:

Portugal - France

Brazil - Belgium

Sweden - England

Spain - Croatia

Semi-Finals:

Portugal - Brazil

Sweden - Spain

Final:

Portugal - Spain

Third-Place:

Brazil - Sweden

[Nimzonia]

I can't see England beating Colombia, to be honest.

We've never actually lost to them so...

We'd never lost to Iceland, either.

[The World Economy and Trade]

Croatia Vs. Denmark.
My favorite team is Denmark.


Oh boy.

[Wopruthien]

Ah that's oddly unrelated, I don't even really know what laverbread is

Also, regardless of the result tonight, we're still in the tournament. If you offered me the scenario we're now in at the start of the tournament I would've bitten your hand off.

It's a fair point. This England team aren't bad, if the FA and England fans in general weren't so fucking insufferable I might have been able to get behind them.

100% this.

[Stiltball]

unless brazil up a gear and turn out to be more than one megastar with an average bunch of players Belgium would kick there butts.

oh- that addressed to Bombadil

to be honest - I think mexico will thump them- so i don't think they'll get that far.

[Omerica]

Uruguay v Portugal
France v Iceland
Brazil v Sweden
Belgium v Poland
Spain v Russia
Argentina v Denmark
Germany v Switzerland
Colombia v England

Portugal v France
Brazil v Belgium
Spain v Argentina
Germany v Colombia

4th: Portugal
3rd: Spain
2nd: Germany
1st: Brazil

Six correctly picked group winners, five correctly picked runners-up, three perfectly called round of 16 matches and thirteen of the last sixteen correctly identified. My pre-tournament picks don’t look that bad. (Save Germany crashing and burning, but who actually saw that coming?)

---

So now to the knockout stage that exists in the parallel universe we just so happen to find ourselves in:

Uruguay v Portugal
France v Argentina
Brazil v Mexico
Belgium v Japan
Spain v Russia
Croatia v Denmark
Sweden v Switzerland
Colombia v England

Uruguay v France
Mexico v Belgium
Spain v Croatia
Switzerland v England (I’m not really picky about who comes out of this quarterfinal, but this is the one I’d like to see most)

And so long as Mexico walk out with medals, I give absolutely zero shits what else happens after the quarterfinals

Uruguay v Portugal
France v Argentina
Brazil v Mexico
Belgium v Japan
Spain v Russia
Croatia v Denmark
Sweden v Switzerland
Colombia v England

Portugal v France
Brazil v Belgium
Spain v Croatia
Sweden v Colombia

4th: Sweden
3rd: Brazil
2nd: Spain
1st: Portugal

Long story short, so long as Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos have both left the territory of Russian Federation by the 14th, I can learn to live with the outcome. Fat chance that’ll happen though...

Though I will make an exception in the improbable event that Mexico become the first ever men's World Cup finalists from CONCACAF and break the 88-year record for highest finish of a team from outside South America or Europe that is currently held by the United States.