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***Official*** 2018 World Cup thread (and Drinking Guide) (1 Viewer)

Sinn Fein

Footballguy
Drinking Guide - Please Drink Responsibly 

Because its never too early to fire up another soccer thread.

2018 World Cup takes place in Russia.  Sadly, the Democrats have forced the US team to boycott the World Cup.

The Final 32 teams are set, and the draw for the group stage will take place December 1.

Pot 1: Russia, Germany, Belgium, Brazil, Argentina, Portugal, Poland, France

Pot 2: England, Spain, Peru, Switzerland, Colombia, Uruguay, Mexico, Croatia

Pot 3: Denmark, Iceland, Costa Rica, Sweden, Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, Iran

Pot 4: Serbia, Nigeria, Australia, Japan, Morocco, Panama, South Korea, Saudi Arabia

UEFA(14): Russia, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Poland, France, England, Belgium, Switzerland, Croatia, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Serbia

CONMEBOL(5): Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Uruguay

CAF(5): Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, Nigeria, Morocco,  

AFA(5): Australia, Japan, South Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia  

CONCACAF(3): Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama

OFC(0):

Current World Cup Odds (Sky Bet):

Brazil 5:1
Germany 5:1

France 11:2

Spain 13:2

Argentina 8:1

Belgium 14:1

England 20:1

Portugal 25:1

Croatia 33:1
Russia 33:1

Draw:

A- Russia, Uruguay, Egypt, Saudi Arabia

B- Portugal, Spain, Iran, Morocco

C- France, Peru, Denmark, Australia

D- Argie, Croatia, Iceland, Nigeria

E- Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia

F- Germany, Mexico, Sweden, South Korea

G- Belgium, England, Tunisia, Panama

H- Poland, Colombia, Senegal, Japan

 
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Looking forward to America pretending to like soccer :thumbup:

Oh wait...we didn't even make the playoffs? Nothing to see here 

 
Early prediction - France

For me, the Germans are the favorites and I’m not sold on Brazil playing well in Russia.

France has the attacking players to win - Mbappe, Griezmann, Lacazette, Pogba - with Kante running the show.  Lloris should be adequate (maybe they have another keeper) - will come down to how well their back line plays.

 
#SoarSuperEagles

Bring the Cup to Africa so Pele will have one correct prediction in his lifetime

 
Because its never too early to fire up another soccer thread.

2018 World Cup takes place in Russia.  Sadly, the Democrats have forced the US team to boycott the World Cup.

The Final 32 teams are set, and the draw for the group stage will take place December 1.

Pot 1: Russia, Germany, Belgium, Brazil, Argentina, Portugal, Poland, France

Pot 2: England, Spain, Peru, Switzerland, Colombia, Uruguay, Mexico, Croatia

Pot 3: Denmark, Iceland, Costa Rica, Sweden, Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, Iran

Pot 4: Serbia, Nigeria, Australia, Japan, Morocco, Panama, South Korea, Saudi Arabia

UEFA(14): Russia, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Poland, France, England, Belgium, Switzerland, Croatia, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Serbia

CONMEBOL(5): Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Uruguay

CAF(5): Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, Nigeria, Morocco,  

AFA(5): Australia, Japan, South Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia  

CONCACAF(3): Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama

OFC(0):

Current World Cup Odds (Sky Bet):

Brazil 5:1
Germany 5:1

France 11:2

Spain 13:2

Argentina 8:1

Belgium 14:1

England 20:1

Portugal 25:1

Croatia 33:1
Russia 33:1
What's Mexico?  They are taking it imo.  I'll be rooting for Germany as I'm half.

 
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Fair weather world cup soccer fan reporting in.  The U.S. not being in it makes it easy for me to focus my enthusiasm on my Belgian Red Devils.  

Will be eating lots of mussels, waffles, frites with Mayonnaise and drinking lots of Rochefort 10s this summer!

 
i think there are a lot of compelling stories/teams.

I will probably keep my Spurs blinders on, and follow England.  Belgium will have at least 2 Spurs, France could have a couple, and for the longer shots, I'll root for Denmark, Colombia, and South Korea.

I always enjoy watching Spain play.  Brazil and Argentina will be fun to watch.  Germany is a machine.  Watching whether Zlatan comes back to Sweden will be interesting.

Saudi Arabia v. Iran could be a fun group - if they go to war with each other...

My daughter is going to Costa Rica this spring - debating about getting her a Costa Rica shirt for the trip.. . :oldunsure:

 
Peru's #10 FIFA ranking seems kind of shaky.  They're probably the weakest side in Pot 2 even though they're technically seeded second among the eight in that pool.

They made a huge leap in the rankings from the low 40s to the teens following their run to the semis in the weird 2015 Copa.  They finished 5th in CONMEBOL qualifying by getting results at home and beating the bottom dwellers.  I don't think they're a top 20 team at sea level.

 
This is my first WC in which I’ll know most of the players.  I’m pumped.  Belgium looks sneaky good but they never seem to put it all together.  But on paper they should go really far.  

I’ll be pulling for Brazil, England, Belgium, Egypt and Senegal.  

 
DEUTSCHLAND!
DEUTSCHLAND!
DEUTSCHLAND!


Spain and England being in Pot 2 will make for some truly tough groups.

 
Spain and England being in Pot 2 will make for some truly tough groups.
Top 2 still advance, right?

Denmark and Sweden could make for a difficult group from Pot 3.  I don't know enough (anything) about Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal to know if they can get past the group stage.

 
Tunisia has ex-Sunderland bust Wahbi Khazri and a handful of other European based players.  They went out in the quarters of the last AFCON and went undefeated to edge DR Congo in a relatively weak WC qualifying group.

Egypt has Saleh, Elmohamedy and Elneny.  They lost in the AFCON finals to Cameroon.  44 year old keeper Essam El Hadary was born during the Anwar Sadat administration.

I think Senegal is the most dangerous of the three African Pot 3 sides.  They have a lot of talent from big European leagues.  They went out on penalties to the eventual AFCON champs and breezed through a relatively tough WC qualifying group. 

Only one African team made it into the knockouts during the last two WCs.  Two seems like a realistic goal in 2018.  Defense is always a question mark against top class competition and there's always some ridiculous dispute over player payments and FA corruption during the run-up.  I don't think there's any separation between the three pot 3 teams and Morocco and Nigeria in pot 4.  I like Morocco's chances; they're a better team on paper than the other two North African qualifiers and they didn't concede a goal in their 6 qualifying games.  I'm always bullish on Nigeria's changes but the Super Eagles have been super under German coach Gernot Rohr.  Of course, he's liable to be sacked in favor of the Nigerian FA head's brother in law.

 
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Since the US, Ecuador, and Italy aren't in - definitely cheering that the Vikings make the knockout round.

 
I don't get it.  Outside of Pulisic, there really aren't many American players who I would want to watch - yet   :shrug:

This just saves the heartache of the team embarrassing themselves - really they did us a favor by capitulating to T&T's B-Team on a wet and bumpy field...

 
El tri as the dark horse (shoot me)

hard not think Brazil, Germany and France won't have something to say- best teams playing now. Perpetual dark horse favorite Belgium too. 

And of course Italy. 

:oldunsure:  .... right?

 
El Floppo said:
El tri as the dark horse (shoot me)

hard not think Brazil, Germany and France won't have something to say- best teams playing now. Perpetual dark horse favorite Belgium too. 

And of course Italy. 

:oldunsure:  .... right?
Isn't Italy out?  Or is that Shtick?  

I lile Mexico too.  No player is bigger then the team.  Although Chichirito thinks he is, lol.

 
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