The World Cup starts Thursday, and I plan on devoting most of the next two weeks to watching every match I possibly can. The 3:00 a.m. (Phoenix time) matches are a bit early, but I should be catching most of the rest.
I can fit in an early morning walk around my neighborhood, but won’t be doing any “away hikes”, like I did to East Mountain last week. At least not during the group matches, which are every day for two straight weeks.
On to my predictions!
In Group A, I pick Russia and Uruguay. Russia is at home, Uruguay is usually a quality side, and teams from the Middle East are usually rank rotten. Especially Saudi Arabia.
Group B is an even more pronounced case of haves and have nots, with both Spain and Portugal possible champions, while Morocco and Iran are Middle East also rans.
In Group C, France is the easy top pick, though they have a tendency to infighting & wilting under pressure, as in Japan / Korea 2000 and South Africa 2010. (Not to mention France 1940.) Second place is a toss up, with Australia and Denmark being better than Peru. Euro sides tend to do better in European World Cups, but I pick the Socceroos as they feature one of my Celtic home bhoys, playmaker Tom Rogic.
In Group D, Argentina are the obvious pick, with Croatia and Nigeria battling it out for runnerup. Nigeria are always one of the better African sides, but the ex-Yugoslav countries play quality football as well. I give it to Croatia for being a European team in a European World Cup. Iceland punch above their weight, as in Euro 2016, but I can’t see them doing more than deciding the order of the other sides.
In Group E, Brazil are always a favorite to win the whole thing and Serbia are another quality ex-Yugoslav side, though I would not be surprised if Switzerland nicked second. Costa Rica, despite having another Celtic player in right back Christian Gamboa, are a make weight, only in the tournament because the USA stepped on its dick.
In Group F, it’s Die Mannschaft and anybody’s guess. A complete toss up between Mexico, Sweden and good Korea. Mexico easily won CONCACAF qualifying, but I’ve never liked their manager, due to Juan Carlos Osorio stinking up MLS back in the day. Sweden has the World Cup’s third Celtic player, right back, and mad bastard, “PC” Mikael Lustig, and they are playing on their home continent. But I give the nod to Korea.
In Group G, England should win the group, but you would have thought that in South Africa 2010, and they finished second to the United States. (And finished last in their Group in Brazil 2014.) Belgium could pip them to the top spot, but I putting Celtic’s fourth & final World Cup representative, centre half Dedryck Boyata, in second.
Group H, is the most even with every team equally capable of finishing first or last.
In the top half of the bracket, the Round of 16 are all easy picks. I gave Russia the group nod, but that places them against one of the favorites in Portugal, who will advance. Croatia’s luck will run out against another favorite in France. Likewise good Korea going out to Brazil. England should also advance.
But England have a reputation for advancing no further than the quarterfinals. Being up against Brazil, they won’t. Portugal and France could go either way, but Ronaldo is getting old, so I give the edge to France.
In the semifinals, Brazil will avenge their 1998 World Cup final loss .
The bottom half of the bracket has some tighter Round of 16 matches. Uruguay against aging Spain could go either way, but the 2010 champions are on their home continent, so I give them the edge. Colombia and Belgium is also a toss up, but whoever wins will go no further than the quarterfinals, as Germany awaits. Argentina will wipe the floor with Australia.
In the quarterfinals, for some reason I picked Spain over Argentina. Probably because Argentina have a habit of not achieving what they should. This is the second time I did this bracket, and I think I may have picked Argentina the first time around. This time I picked Spain. Germany will destroy over-achieving Colombia.
In the semis, Spain’s aging squad will finally run out of steam. Germany will win, setting up a replay of the Brazil 2014 semifinal.
There’s no picker for the third place match, so I am picking a country with a history of failure in Russia: France.
Brazil tends not win in Europe, so they will fail to avenge their loss four years ago, meaning Germany finally wins one in Russia.
Let me know in the comments below, or on Twitter, who your picks are!
Wow. France the only team I picked that made it to the semifinals! Brazil out …. hahahahahahaha. Plus Germany and Spain. Huh. Replaced by England, Croatia and Belgium.
Fucking great: Just after Spain and Iran score stoppage time equalizers my power goes out. Oh, and it is over 100℉. So far, in Groups A & B, I have the advancing teams correct, even if my order is a bit out of whack in each.
Oh, Christ, today was boring. I fell asleep 20 minutes into the Japan match. Things only came alive in the final 20 of the day’s final match between Poland and Colombia.
Wow, what a game. 😳 Standing O for both Germany and Sweden. 👏 Instant World Cup classic! ⚽️
The Uzbek ref let waaaay too many Crotian fouls go unpunished, but ultimately Croatia ran out deserved 3-0 winners over woeful Argentina.
Group B, 1st Match: Morocco were slightly better than a poor Iran, but lost on a 90th minute header. (Some say an own goal.) Meanwhile, Portugal 3-3 Spain thanx to criminal goalkeeping by DeGea and two world class dives by Ronaldo. Shame his talent is exceeded only by his cheating. That means *Iran* is in P1! 😳
Group A, 1st Match: Russia 5-0 Saudia Arabia, who FIFA actually rank higher. FIFA rankings have always been 💩. (Afterall, they continued to rank France behind Brazil after France beat them to win World Cup ’98.) Uruguay is going to need to beat Egypt, then put a pounding on Saudia Arabia in the second group match, because the third group match is Russia-Uruguay.
Took Uruguay all of 90 minutes to break down Egypt. So, as of now, my Group A is dead on. The key matches, though, will be round 2, as Russia and Uruguay try to one up each others’ results.