Your prediction for the World Cup Football 2018

[jstar]

Still in the race:

@ChrisTex , @snpark , @El_Goretto , @Wisnu , @Ruserious, @waarmstrong, @Anglian, @lifelongexpat.

Well done.

 

[snpark]

winner winner bakso dinner

 

[jstar]

The French almost never win the last battle. I picked this time to be the exception.

Croatia - France (Croatia) seems to be you. And it is the only one left voteless so you'd be the sole winner!!!

You never listen.



Only @ChrisTex and @snpark are still in the running.

Well, if Croatia becomes world champion at least I will have one thing right.

 

[snpark]

france to squeeze it 2-1 or 3-1
belgium 2-0 against the whingers

 

[waarmstrong]

I didn't realize there is a third place game. Pardon my ignorance, but really, it must just be about the money. Consolation match...does anyone care?

 

[dafluff]

I didn't realize there is a third place game. Pardon my ignorance, but really, it must just be about the money. Consolation match...does anyone care?

Third place matches used to be common in the Olympics also, but now the practice is to just award bronze medals to both semi-final losers. I suppose there is pros and cons to both approaches.

 

[jstar]

Yes, there have been a lot of discussion about the usefulness of the 'little final' for the 3rd place. As well as the fairness of the current structure.

Of course the most 'honest' solution would be to have all teams play each other. But although it would remove the 'calculate and manipulate to get weaker opponents' that is practically impossible. Also, a kind of playoffs and 'loser competition' in which the winner(s) could join the group-winners again, has been raised multiple times.

But in the end, you need to be able to beat anyone anyway, so the rationale to keep it this way, is still making sense.

Personally I think tonight's game between Belgium and England, could be much more interesting than the final. Unless you're a die-hard fan of one of those teams of course.

 

[El_Goretto]

I bought a French team jersey and some face paint. Needless to say, I'm ready!

 

[jstar]

I'm ready!

 

[waarmstrong]

Red, White & Blue ... I like the look.

 

[Balifrog]

We shouldn't be too overconfident. For the Croats it would be a very important national thing to bring the cup home, so they sur will give all they have.

 

[jstar]

Yes, there have been a lot of discussion about the usefulness of the 'little final' for the 3rd place. As well as the fairness of the current structure.

Of course the most 'honest' solution would be to have all teams play each other. But although it would remove the 'calculate and manipulate to get weaker opponents' that is practically impossible. Also, a kind of playoffs and 'loser competition' in which the winner(s) could join the group-winners again, has been raised multiple times.

What would be a big improvement, is to have a lottery to pick the 8 games and pair the teams out of the 16, after the (A-H) group phases. Then nobody will know who they would play until all first and second positions per group are determined.

Red, White & Blue ... I like the look.

So do they:

 

[waarmstrong]

Pardon my parochial ignorance of national symbols; small world and a rather unimaginative directional distinction, save for the coat of arms. It's the vertical tricolor versus the horizontal tricolor; may the best tricolor win.

 

[jstar]

I've never read a flag explanation so complicated as that of Croatia...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Croatia

One of the most undervalued touristic destinations in Europe btw. Beautiful country.

And even the ministers wear football uniforms:

In fact the Croatian team must be somewhat exhausted; they played more and longer than France, since they had already three extra times. Tomorrow we will see if they have recovered.

 

[snpark]

Ahem no one commented on my prediction 2-0 to Belg?

In fact it should have been 4 or 5-0
Kane was shocking again and quite how he can be captain still? And have the nerve to accept the golden boot when he hasnt scored for the last 4 games, and (again) out of his 6 goals, 3 were pens, 1 was a deflection, 1 was a goal line tap in.
And those were against Tunisa and Panama, and 1 pen against Colombia
Shocking how he can think he is the best striker

So England played 7, won 3, lost 3, drew 1 (won on pens)
So beat Tunisia (extra time), Panama (2pens), Sweden, beat Colombia only on pens, lost to Croatia and Belgium (x2)

And then the papers say there were TIRED against Belgium??? Welcome to English media.

 

[jstar]

Ahem no one commented on my prediction 2-0 to Belg?

Well.....


....and wait till tonight.

.

 

[snpark]

france 3-1 croatia
hopefully mbappe or griezmann with a hattrick to get the g boot

 

[jstar]

2-1 as we speak so you're still on track...

 

[Wisnu]

Final score 4 - 1 (plus 1 stupid gift)

 

[jstar]

snpark will probably state the penalty wasn't one and shouldn't have been a goal so without that and the present from the bribed goalkeeper, he was right with the 3-1.

Well, after the 4-2 I had the feeling something was still possible. But as usual, the French were merciless killers.

So, @ChrisTex and @snpark are the winners of this bet. Congratulations, good job.