World Cup: 2018 FIFA World Cup

[Live in the Now]

Agreed with LITN on England’s chances with possession. They’re not going to control games. Set up to counter. Their midfield options are absolutely awful.

I wouldn't say awful, but definitely more geared to countering as any team with Henderson would be. If they had Milner to choose they would be really dangerous on the counter, but Lingard could play a similar role.

 

[Stray Wasp]

I was disappointed to see the England squad- I mean, I'm disappointed that there is one at all.

It's plucky of Southgate to try and match Iceland 2016, but I doubt anything will ever beat Roy's comedy masterpiece. Especially without Wayne Rooney to set such a breathlessly incompetent example.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Kane's more built for a team that has possession, but it's not like he'll be bad.

Ever since the beginning of this season, I've believed that counter-attacks bring out the best in Kane, so I wouldn't be too sure about that.

 

[Live in the Now]

On the subject of their formation, I think Walker will start in the back three and TAA or Trippier at RWB. Whichever one Southgate prefers I suppose.

 

[Venkman]

Yeah Walker started the last two friendlies at right CB, next to Stones. The other CB will probably be Maguire or Jones. Trippier and TAA will probably get a friendly each to win the RWB place. Ox would be in instead of Alli so maybe Delph or RLC plays there. Or they go Dier with Henderson then Lingard and Sterling behind Kane.

--------Kane Sterling
--------Lingard Alli
Young Henderson Trippier
--Maguire Stones Walker
-----------Pickford

 

[Elliman]

My predictions

Second Round

Uruguay 0
Portugal 2

France 1
Argentina 1

Brazil 3
S Korea 1

England 1
Japan 1

Spain 2
Egypt 1

Nigeria 1
Denmark 2

Germany 1
Costa Rica 0

Colombia 1
Belgium 1

Quarter Finals

Portugal 2
Argentina 2

Brazil 1
England 0

Spain 0
Denmark 2

Germany 1
Belgium 3

Semi Finals

Portugal 2
Brazil 1

Denmark 0
Belgium 2

Final

Portugal 1
Belgium 1
Penalties....

 

[Savi]

Germany 1
Belgium 3

Yeah, don't see that happening, but I like your positivism

 

[HajdukSplit]

If it really matters the final FIFA Ranking before the World Cup has been released

1. Germany
2. Brazil
3. Belgium
4. Portugal
5. Argentina
6. Switzerland
7. France
8. Spain
10. Poland
11. Peru
12. Denmark
13. England
14. Tunisia
15. Mexico
16. Colombia
17. Uruguay
18. Croatia
22. Iceland
23. Sweden
25. Costa Rica
28. Senegal
35. Serbia
36. Iran
40. Australia
42. Morocco
46. Egypt
47. Nigeria
55. Panama
60. Japan
61. South Korea
66. Russia
67. Saudi Arabia

The five highest ranked non-qualifiers: Chile (9), Netherlands (19), Italy (20), Wales (21), USA (24)

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

As usually piss poor Argentina and Portugal ahead of the likes of France and Spain. Not sure how Beligum is top 3... I mean they have a nice squad but I'm even confident Argentina would beat them.

 

[koyvoo]

FIFA rankings are always terrible. The system sucks. World ELO rankings, while no where no perfect itself, is a closer to reality ranking imo.

 

[The Abusement Park]

So some of my friends are doing are doing a World Cup bracket predictor, and I figured this board might be interested in something like that. If there’s enough interest in that I could set it all up.

 

[YNWA14]

I would love to do a bracket predictor.

Also Wilshere being overrated as usual. England won't miss him. If Southgate really wants to play a possession game they're going to end up getting killed, but we'll see.

 

[Live in the Now]

Senegal squad named:

Goalkeepers: Abdoulaye Diallo (Stade Rennes), Alfred Gomis (SPAL), Khadim Ndiaye (Horoya)

Defenders: Lamine Gassama (Alanyaspor), Saliou Ciss (Valenciennes), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Kara Mbodii (Anderlecht), Youssouf Sabaly (Bordeaux), Salif Sane (Hannover 98), Moussa Wague (Eupen)

Midfielders: Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Cheikhou Kouyate (West Ham United), Alfred Ndiaye (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Badou Ndiaye (Stoke City), Cheikh Ndoye (Birmingham City), Ismaila Sarr (Stade Rennes)

Forwards: Keita Balde (Monaco), Mame Biram Diouf (Stoke City), Moussa Konate (Amiens), Sadio Mane (Liverpool), Mbaye Niang (Torino), Diafra Sakho (Stade Rennes), Moussa Sow (Bursaspor).

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

I'd be down for a bracket contest.

 

[cgf]

Assuming Neuer doesn't get fit in time and that Ilkay doesn't get hurt before the tourney starts, I'm expecting Jogi to roll out something like:

Sane - Werner - Müller
Özil
Gundogan - Kroos
Hector - Boa - Mats - Kimmich
MAtS
--------------------------
Werner - Müller
Sane - Gundogan - Özil - Kimmich
Kroos
Süle - Boa - Mats
MAtS​

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

I'd be shocked if he didn't pick Khedira.

 

[The Abusement Park]

I’ll start a thread for a bracket contest and whoever wants to can join.

 

[Live in the Now]

Portugal:

Guarda-redes - Anthony Lopes (Lyon), Beto (Goztepe) e Rui Patrício (Sporting)
Defesas - Bruno Alves (Rangers), Cédric Soares (Southampton), José Fonte (Dalian Yifang), Mário Rui (Nápoles), Pepe (Besiktas), Raphael Guerreiro (Dortmund), Ricardo Pereira (FC Porto) e Rúben Dias (Benfica)
Médios - Adrien Silva (Leicester), Bruno Fernandes (Sporting), João Mário (West Ham), João Moutinho (Mónaco), Manuel Fernandes (Lokomotiv), e William Carvalho (Sporting)
Avançados - André Silva (Milan), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Gelson Martins (Sporting), Gonçalo Guedes (Valência) e Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas)

Can't believe Bruno Alves is still there.

 

[cgf]

I worry we'll see Sami if Ilkay isn't fit, but not even Jogi can be dumb enough to play Khedira over Gundogan.

 

[cgf]

I'd be shocked if he didn't pick Khedira.

I worry we'll see Sami if Ilkay isn't fit, but not even Jogi can be dumb enough to play Khedira over Gundogan.

 

[jniklast]

I worry we'll see Sami if Ilkay isn't fit, but not even Jogi can be dumb enough to play Khedira over Gundogan.

I'd be shocked if Jogi doesn't pick Khedira ahead of Ilkay. Of course it's dumb, but this far he has pretty much always picked Khedira when he has been fit and I haven't seen anything that shows he would suddenly prefer Gundogan.

 

[KJS14]

Is Wilshere overrated? Yeah sure.

But is Wilshere worse than Loftus-Cheek? No shot.

 

[cgf]

I'd be shocked if Jogi doesn't pick Khedira ahead of Ilkay. Of course it's dumb, but this far he has pretty much always picked Khedira when he has been fit and I haven't seen anything that shows he would suddenly prefer Gundogan.

He's played Ilkay ahead of Sami when both have been fit before Ilkay has seldom been fit, but when he has, he's almost always been first choice since Jogi first integrated him in 2012. Unlike Khedira, who Jogi has put on the bench in favor of others before.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Is Wilshere overrated? Yeah sure.

But is Wilshere worse than Loftus-Cheek? No shot.

The gap isn't as large as you think and Loftus-Cheek is most likely going to feature for England many times in the future.

 

[Live in the Now]

Loftus-Cheek also doubles as a long ball threat. Wilshere is better by some distance but Loftus-Cheek does have a realistic tactical utilization, not in possession where they would get wrecked no matter what.