Here is how my rankings (From the Soccer Blog link in my signature) stack up in the groups. My ranking is more like an ELO Rating (which rates every match a team has played all-time) but is more in the middle because mine is based on the last three "WC cycles" or 12 years.
Group A
Brazil (2)
Mexico (9)
Croatia (15)
Cameroon (42)
Group B
Spain (1)
Netherlands (3)
Australia (19)
Chile (27)
Group C
Japan (13)
Colombia (16)
Ivory Coast (18)
Greece (24)
Group D
England (6)
Italy (11)
Uruguay (14)
Costa Rica (37)
Group E
France (7)
Switzerland (31)
Ecuador (38)
Honduras (45)
Group F
Argentina (5)
Iran (17)
Nigeria (26)
Bosnia-Herzegovina (46)
Group G
Germany (4)
Portugal (8)
United States (10)
Ghana (40)
Group H
Korea Republic (21)
Russia (22)
Belgium (43)
Algeria (69)
----
So what I get from this is that Brazil will win A, but second could be a battle. Group B is stacked except that Australia is not as good as the rank they currently have and will be last IMO. Group C is truly evenly matched and any of them could contend in knockouts too. Group D is a three-way murderer's row. Group E is a walk in the park for France as we know, but Switzerland can and have been a thorn in many a-side over the years. Argentina might as well be penciled into the Round of 16 now. Group G is the obvious "Group of Death" as we all know by now. Group H really is that "Other Group" as stated before. Any team could take it, but will any them make a lot of noise???
----
The park in front of the goal strategy is appealing and has long been the USA strategy for years...until Klinsmann took over. This is a more attack oriented USA than we'd had for a longtime. This may be our demise against Portugal and Germany. If Altidore, Bradley & Johnson wreak havoc up front this U.S. can challenge anyone in the world but hopefully not allow lethal counter-attacks to flourish in the process. If we get anything from Dempsey it's even stronger. If Donovan even makes the final 23, who knows he could provide another magical moment (i.e. vs. Algeria 2010) but don't hold your breathe. The defensive alignment has had moments where it has shined and shown some consistency with Gonzalez, Evans, and Besler. We have one of the Top 5 keepers in the world too. I'd love to hold a 0:0 or 1:1 draw but don't count the Americans out of a 4:3 shootout as well. I know we'd all cringe seeing if we could keep up with teams in a game like that. Unfortunately I can see us sending guys forward against Germany and find ourselves down 2:0 by the half-hour mark. LOL
This whole post filled with some of the weirdest stuff I have literally ever read on the internet. Anyone who has Belgium ranked at 43 instantly
loses all credibility, that's absolutely ridiculous. I don't care if it's an elo over the last 12 years thing,
France's group really isn't that easy and I highly doubt they will win the group.
Also Tim Howard is not a top 5 goalkeeper. Like not in your wildest dreams.
This whole post filled with some of the weirdest stuff I have literally ever read on the internet. Anyone who has Belgium ranked at 43 instantly
loses all credibility, that's absolutely ridiculous. I don't care if it's an elo over the last 12 years thing,
France's group really isn't that easy and I highly doubt they will win the group.
Also Tim Howard is not a top 5 goalkeeper. Like not in your wildest dreams.
Also, US ranked 10, Iran 17 and Australia 19, that's all just
Looks like some obvious flaws with that ranking system are
(1) 12 years is WAY too long. I mean sure if it's supposed to reflect how a team has performed over the past decade, it works. But as an indicator of how they will perform during the next tournament it's silly because there's basically nobody playing who played 12 years ago (and those that are can hardly be considered "the same" player).
(2) It doesn't seem to take into account the quality of the opponents. Yeah USA qualifies every time. Obviously they do, they compete with Mexico and nobody for 3,5 spots. Put them in CONMEBOL or UEFA qualifying and they'll probably make it out once in 20 years or more.
FIFA rankings, for all their flaws, at least cover these two points much better.
Anyway, my views on the groups.
A: Brazil should of course win this. The battle for second place is wide open between all three teams. Mexico has been terrible in qualifying but the World Cup is still half a year away so it's hard to say; in theory they can have a good squad. Croatia alson hasn't been inspiring so far. And I'm not discounting Cameroon either, although it's a bit of a longer shot.
B: I think Chile is a bit of a sleeper. They've improved a lot lately and they're actually a strong team. They have the home continent advantage. So I could see them making it really hard for Spain and Holland. I wouldn't be surprised to see them knock one of the European powers out here. Australia is dead weight here.
C: This group is wide open. All four are in fact deceptively strong teams. I have to go with Colombia and Japan, as I've seen both teams play lately and they've impressed me. But this could go literally anywhere.
D: Three-way clash. I'll predict England to end up short, but again, form at the time of the World Cup will be crucial.
E: This is a somewhat weak group for sure, but not as easy as some make it out. France so often fails to impress and I don't think they like Switzerland, which is a solid team they've had trouble with in the past. Ecuador can certainly make it too. Even in this so-called weak group, I don't think Honduras has a real shot.
F: Argentina should make it for sure. I'm gonna go with Bosnia for second place ahead of Nigeria, but this is close. I think this is actually the weakest group in terms of competition for the top team.
G: The hardest group for sure, but I do think Germany and Portugal will make it, as they are a notch stronger than Ghana (two notches in the case of Germany).
H: We should advance from this and leave it to Russia and Korea to fight for second place.
You really just need to embrace the rage. I keep a small colony of hamsters next to my computer and every time I lose a match to mana screw I throw one against the wall.
Belgium is currently one of my favorite teams to watch, so much young quality, it'll be interesting to see who all gets the call for the World Cup. I've heard Chile as a sleeper numerous times, but personally, I'm not sold on them. Of course, I've been known to be horrendously wrong before. Speaking of horrendously wrong, personally I'm in the Group C boat of Greece and Cote d'Ivoire. I like Colombia, but I see them falling short of expectations. Out of my picks, Honduras is my surprise entrant into the knockout rounds. I think the Hondurans will close up shop enough to sneak into that 2nd slot, I also think that if France is off their game, we could see the Swiss and Hondurans make it to the knockout round. Argentina and BIH should qualify fairly easily, Nigeria won't be an easy out, but both teams should be able to overcome them. After much consideration, I'm taking the Germans and Ghana from the US Group, I don't think the US has quite the quality to pull of what they need to(at least one win) and I can see Ghana just being resilient enough to take it from Portugal. Belgium and Russia(after some questionable officiating) in the final group to make it through. Because what would a Group Stage be without a little FIFA-fueled controversy.
FYI - My ranking system is based on past performance for sure and does count who you play. I was simply entering them in for fun to see what it looks like.
The reason teams like Australia, USA, and Iran have high rankings is they dominate their regions and never play their lower continental opponents in order to qualify for tournaments. However European teams get to qualify (for WC and EURO) in groups with San Marino, Estonia, Azerbaijan, etc. Do you see USA playing Barbados or Nicaragua for the right to be in the WC? Do you see Iran and Australia playing Kyrgyzstan or Myanmar? No.
There is no doubt in my mind that United States is a top 15 team right now.
----
Anyone doubting France (and it's not like I support them) is mistaken. They will be out to show that the South Africa 2010 disaster was a fluke. The way they destroyed a up-and-coming Ukraine team to qualify was powerful. Everyone says they had bad qualifying...because they finished second to Spain in a group...whoa! They drew at Madrid and lost 1-0 at home when Spain was at their most desperate (after having drawn to Finland).
Cameroon can't be counted out??? Hats off to them for beating a wily veteran Tunisian squad, but a sliding one. Cameroon has been down for years now. They couldn't even beat Cape Verde Islands to make the last African Nations Cup. They are a classic participation ribbon team. I'm sorry.
The reason teams like Australia, USA, and Iran have high rankings is they dominate their regions and never play their lower continental opponents in order to qualify for tournaments. However European teams get to qualify (for WC and EURO) in groups with San Marino, Estonia, Azerbaijan, etc. Do you see USA playing Barbados or Nicaragua for the right to be in the WC? Do you see Iran and Australia playing Kyrgyzstan or Myanmar? No.
Yeah, we play a home and away game against San Marino and then we're qualified.
Typically the UEFA qualifying groups do contain one very weak team each, yes. They also each contain one or two teams that are stronger than any CONCACAF team. Overall, the UEFA qualifying groups are of roughtly similar strength to the final qualifying round in CONCACAF, the Hexagonal. Except only 1.44 teams per group advance (the first one advances, the 8 best second places play play-off matches) while from the Hex 3.9 teams advance (or how should I rate a play-off match vs New Zealand?)
There is no doubt in my mind that United States is a top 15 team right now.
There is no doubt in mine that they aren't. If you want a really objective and professional rating of a team, just look at betting sites. Their living depends on correctly estimating the strength of each team, which means they are actually motivated to be correct. Just looking at the odds of the US to make it out of the group stage should tell you enough - 13 to 1. They're estimated lower than Ghana which is ranked 24th at FIFA (or is Ghana also a top 15 team? I guess they must be, since they knocked out the US twice). England and Chile, which also have murder groups and are ranked 13 and 15 (so right next to US) get 3.25 to 1 and 5 to 1, respectively.
USA are listed 20th favorite to win the WC, tied with Bosnia, Croatia, Ecuador and Ghana. The bottom two spots are for CONCACAF teams.
You really just need to embrace the rage. I keep a small colony of hamsters next to my computer and every time I lose a match to mana screw I throw one against the wall.
FYI - My ranking system is based on past performance for sure and does count who you play. I was simply entering them in for fun to see what it looks like.
The reason teams like Australia, USA, and Iran have high rankings is they dominate their regions and never play their lower continental opponents in order to qualify for tournaments. However European teams get to qualify (for WC and EURO) in groups with San Marino, Estonia, Azerbaijan, etc. Do you see USA playing Barbados or Nicaragua for the right to be in the WC? Do you see Iran and Australia playing Kyrgyzstan or Myanmar? No.
There is no doubt in my mind that United States is a top 15 team right now.
----
Anyone doubting France (and it's not like I support them) is mistaken. They will be out to show that the South Africa 2010 disaster was a fluke. The way they destroyed a up-and-coming Ukraine team to qualify was powerful. Everyone says they had bad qualifying...because they finished second to Spain in a group...whoa! They drew at Madrid and lost 1-0 at home when Spain was at their most desperate (after having drawn to Finland).
Cameroon can't be counted out??? Hats off to them for beating a wily veteran Tunisian squad, but a sliding one. Cameroon has been down for years now. They couldn't even beat Cape Verde Islands to make the last African Nations Cup. They are a classic participation ribbon team. I'm sorry.
The biggest thing about your ranking is that it's over a 12 year span, which means literally NOTHING to Belgium next year. When you started the rankings, most of these guys were younger then 15 years old. A lot of them were play u19 or under during the 06 cup. Even rankings including 2010 would barely cover some of these guys who are tremendously important parts of the team, which is huge considering Belgium isn't a powerhouse country like Germany or France.
France drew with Georgia and lost 2-0 to Ukraine before beating them 3-0 and their group was arguably the weakest - Finland, Georgia, Belarus and Spain aren't exactly fantastic. Also their Euros 2012 was a disaster 4 points in the group, lost to Sweden and drew a disappointing England squad that was without their best player. Oh and got smoked by Spain.
But to make a point against the betting sites bit, whomever has Costa Rica's and Honduras' chances of winning lower then Austrailia or Cameroon's is on some serious drugs. I am willing to bet anything that BOTH Costa Rica and Honduras will have more group stage points then Austrailia(who will most assuredly have 0). Cameroon is playing a weaker group but they are also a good guess at 0 points but not so rock solid on it, tbh. Costa Rica has a tremendously tough group but I wouldn't be surprised if they snuck a point out and I guarantee Honduras will at least get 1 point(probably out of France).
Also - France didn't have a bad qualifying because they finished second to Spain, they had a poor qualifying because their form was off until the game vs Ukraine, and they didn't look like what they should look like during those games. I don't think anyone in their right minds faults them for finishing behind Spain.
Glad to see a previous group simulator of Colombia and USA has been proven wrong. My grandfather who died this year was Colombian, I'm the 2nd person to be born in the US after my disowned sister. He would be so proud to see them make the World Cup.
Me and my mom were talking and we have no clue what we would do if they met down the line.
Glad to see a previous group simulator of Colombia and USA has been proven wrong. My grandfather who died this year was Colombian, I'm the 2nd person to be born in the US after my disowned sister. He would be so proud to see them make the World Cup.
Me and my mom were talking and we have no clue what we would do if they met down the line.
I feel the same way about if Denmark and the US ever meet. I'll be so torn.
If there is one thing to be said about American associated football it's that the fans come out once every four years and have high expectations. : D
Being a soccer player in America is like being an artist in the dark ages, no one wants to see your stuff and every one else is trying to get you to do something else (grid iron football). Even in my senior year of high school I was tempted to abandon the captain-ship of my squad for a place as the kicker on my school's gridiron team.
The development of academies, the expansion of the MLS, and the increase of MLS player wages will hopefully be good steps in producing higher quality US squads in the future.
I don't know what hurts more, reading that here or the misspelling of Colombia.
Apologies, I know how much it can hurt when someone is one letter off, I hope that you and your loved ones survived the fracas, as the error is now fixed. If you need any help, since it was my gross negligence that led to the misplacement of one letter that affected you so deeply, I'd be glad to offer it.
That being said, I'm interested to see where Group C as a whole goes from here. Colombia has more quality than just Falcao, but Falcao is also a complete game-changer for them. I still think Colombia will make it out of the group stages, it just might be more of a struggle for them.
Greece could be a surprise because they are one of the strongest defensive teams in the world. Teams can and have been bored by their style and then they catch people by surprise with counter-attacks. Ivory Coast and Japan can have holes in their defense especially in big stage games, so if Greece builds their wall there could be a couple 1:0 Greece snatch-and-grabs. I'd take Greece and Colombia from this group. I picked Colombia as my quarterfinal or further darkhorse and I'm sticking with it.
Apologies, I know how much it can hurt when someone is one letter off, I hope that you and your loved ones survived the fracas, as the error is now fixed. If you need any help, since it was my gross negligence that led to the misplacement of one letter that affected you so deeply, I'd be glad to offer it.
That being said, I'm interested to see where Group C as a whole goes from here. Colombia has more quality than just Falcao, but Falcao is also a complete game-changer for them. I still think Colombia will make it out of the group stages, it just might be more of a struggle for them.
We have moved past our initial stage of grieving which is sadness and furthermore I have just received a mass text saying we have also passed the anger stage. I think you're in the clear.
I will pass along your positivity about making it out of our group stage as a token of good will.
Greece could be a surprise because they are one of the strongest defensive teams in the world. Teams can and have been bored by their style and then they catch people by surprise with counter-attacks. Ivory Coast and Japan can have holes in their defense especially in big stage games, so if Greece builds their wall there could be a couple 1:0 Greece snatch-and-grabs. I'd take Greece and Colombia from this group. I picked Colombia as my quarterfinal or further darkhorse and I'm sticking with it.
I like you. I like this post. I think it's gonna be Colombia and a toss up. I need to research teams more in this group.
Also as an Argentinian I'm really looking up to gettin those 9 points, the fact that Spain, Brazil, and Germany, if ending first in their group, go to a different part of the bracket, makes me think we actually have a shot at it. What I don't like is our defence. My analysis, if someone wants another opinion:
Group A: Brazil should take this with some ease. I do believe is crucial for Croatia to not be broken in mentality so they can grab some points vs the other two teams. Mexico vs Cameroon is probably the most important match for both teams, whoever can get a win there will have serious chances of getting by.
Group B: Spain is playing good footy and Strootman's injury for Netherlands might be a problem. But the Orange Clockwork can do some nasty stuff, and given the pressure that whoever qualifies as second probably goes against Brazil, they'll fight for first place. Chile, under the management of Sampaoli, Bielsa's disciple, are doing one hell of a job training against high tier squads. If they keep it cool they also have a shot at first place. Australia made some noise against Ecuador, but I'm seeing them a little bit behind.
Group C: Up for anyone. Really. Anything can happen here. They are 4 nations which want to make history. Whoever can remain calm will take it.
Group D: This group is going to be nice. 3 world champions, and 1 team making things quite well. I do see Costa Rica maybe getting nervous for all the heavyweights in their group, but England hasn't been doing things extremely well this past years, and the Catenaccio strategy of the Italian football is ineficcient because I don't see Italians having those strong defenders from past time. I see Uruguay as a favorite due to the fact that they tend to outperform themselves when facing high pressure.
Group E: This is one of the groups that will demonstrate why the FIFA ranking system is pure bulls*it. France probably has the upper hand, and the rest of the teams have a nice shot at second place (maybe Honduras a little less)
Group F: I hope Argentina can take it. We've defeated Bosnia a couple of months ago, but anything can happen in a World Cup. I could see Bosnia and Nigeria fighting for second place, and Iran might give a surprise.
Group G: 10 years ago, this would be a no-brainer: Germany first, Portugal second. But United States and Ghana had really make a lot of progress this past few years and I do believe that besides Germany probably grabbing the first place, the second place is up for anyone, specially if someone can get a point (or even three) from the Germans.
Group H: In the papers, Belgium seems like the candidate to take the whole 9 points, but I do think they have great players but are a little bit overrated. Russia has shown some great teamwork and better showcase against high tier teams. South Korea and Algeria are possibly a bit behind. It would be no surprise for me if Russia gets first place.
Falcao is going to make it, which should make for some great football, I wouldn't be surprised if the USA fail to take a point.
Shame that Benteke is out now though, a key cog in the revolution of kids at Belgium, plus a prime player who's value could've skyrocketed after the World Cup to help out Villa.
Belgium 2:0 Algeria
Russia 3:1 South Korea
Belgium 0:1 Russia
South Korea 1:0 Algeria
South Korea 0:1 Belgium
Algeria 1:0 Russia
Russia (6) Belgium (6) South Korea (3) Algeria (3)
Surprise: ALG/RUS Best Match: BEL/RUS
Round of 16
Brazil 1:1 Netherlands (2-4 pen)
Spain 4:1 Croatia
Ivory Coast 2:2 Italy (5-6 pen)
England 2:1 Colombia
France 2:1 Argentina (a.e.t.)
Bosnia 3:1 Ecuador
Germany 2:0 Belgium
Russia 2:1 Ghana
Europe takes over WC 2014! The quarterfinals look like a EURO Final Knockout Stage!
Quarterfinals
Netherlands 0:1 Italy
Spain 2:1 England
France 2:1 Germany
Bosnia 3:2 Russia
Semifinals
Italy 0:1 France
Spain 2:1 Bosnia
3rd Place
Italy 3:4 Bosnia (a.e.t.)
Final
France 0:3 Spain
Spain repeats in this Spanish core's final bow, France makes amends for the disaster in South Africa 2010, Bosnia comes on strong and Brazil is shocked in the R16 on their home soil!
Man of the Tournament: Iniesta (ESP)
Golden Boot: Mario Balotelli (ITA) (7 goals)
Group F
Argentina - Bosnia 2-0
Iran - Nigeria 1-1
Argentina - Iran 2-0
Nigeria - Bosnia 1-2
Nigeria - Argentina 1-3
Bosnia - Iran 1-1
1. Argentina 7-1 9p
2. Bosnia 3-4 4p
3. Iran 2-4 2p
4. Nigeria 3-6 1p
Group G
Germany - Portugal 3-2
Ghana - USA 2-1
Germany - Ghana 2-0
USA - Portugal 1-2
USA - Germany 0-1
Portugal - Ghana 1-1
1. Germany 6-2 9p
2. Portugal 5-5 4p
3. Ghana 3-4 4p
4. USA 2-5 0p
Group H
Belgium - Algeria 1-0
Russia - South Korea 2-1
Belgium - Russia 1-1
South Korea - Algeria 2-0
South Korea - Belgium 1-1
Algeria - Russia 0-1
1. Russia 4-2 7p
2. Belgium 3-2 5p
3. South Korea 4-3 4p
4. Algeria 0-4 0p
Round of 16
Brazil - Netherlands 3-1
Colombia - Italy 1-1 (Italy advances after penalties)
France - Bosnia 2-0
Germany - Belgium 2-1
Spain - Mexico 2-0
Uruguay - Ivory Coast 2-0
Argentina - Ecuador 3-1
Russia - Portugal 1-2
Quarterfinals
Brazil - Italy 2-0
France - Germany 1-2
Spain - Uruguay 1-0
Argentina - Portugal 2-1
Semifinals
Brazil - Germany 1-2
Spain - Argentina 0-2
3rd place playoff
Brazil - Spain 2-1
Final
Argentina - Germany 0-1
So yeah, I predict a replay of the 1990 final. The top scorer will be Higuain (Argentina).
C)
1- Colombia
2- Japan
3- Cote d'Ivoire
4- Greece
D)
1- Uruguay
2- Italy
3- England
4- Costa Rica
E)
1- Switzerland
2- France
3- Ecuador
4- Honduras
F)
1- Argentina
2- Bosnia
3- Iran
4- Nigeria
G)
1- Germany
2- Portugal
3- Ghana
4- USA
H)
1- Belgium
2- Russia
3- Algeria
4- South Korea
Play-offs:
Brazil def. Chile
Spain def. Mexico
Colombia def. Italy
Japan def. Uruguay
Switzerland def. Bosnia
Argentina def. France
Germany def. Russia
Belgium def. Portugal
Brazil def. Colombia
Spain def. Japan
Germany def. Switzerland
Belgium def. Argentina
Germany def. Brazil
Spain def. Belgium
3rd place: Brazil def. Belgium
Final: Germany def. Spain
You really just need to embrace the rage. I keep a small colony of hamsters next to my computer and every time I lose a match to mana screw I throw one against the wall.
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
This whole post filled with some of the weirdest stuff I have literally ever read on the internet. Anyone who has Belgium ranked at 43 instantly
loses all credibility, that's absolutely ridiculous. I don't care if it's an elo over the last 12 years thing,
France's group really isn't that easy and I highly doubt they will win the group.
Also Tim Howard is not a top 5 goalkeeper. Like not in your wildest dreams.
Also, US ranked 10, Iran 17 and Australia 19, that's all just
Looks like some obvious flaws with that ranking system are
(1) 12 years is WAY too long. I mean sure if it's supposed to reflect how a team has performed over the past decade, it works. But as an indicator of how they will perform during the next tournament it's silly because there's basically nobody playing who played 12 years ago (and those that are can hardly be considered "the same" player).
(2) It doesn't seem to take into account the quality of the opponents. Yeah USA qualifies every time. Obviously they do, they compete with Mexico and nobody for 3,5 spots. Put them in CONMEBOL or UEFA qualifying and they'll probably make it out once in 20 years or more.
FIFA rankings, for all their flaws, at least cover these two points much better.
Anyway, my views on the groups.
A: Brazil should of course win this. The battle for second place is wide open between all three teams. Mexico has been terrible in qualifying but the World Cup is still half a year away so it's hard to say; in theory they can have a good squad. Croatia alson hasn't been inspiring so far. And I'm not discounting Cameroon either, although it's a bit of a longer shot.
B: I think Chile is a bit of a sleeper. They've improved a lot lately and they're actually a strong team. They have the home continent advantage. So I could see them making it really hard for Spain and Holland. I wouldn't be surprised to see them knock one of the European powers out here. Australia is dead weight here.
C: This group is wide open. All four are in fact deceptively strong teams. I have to go with Colombia and Japan, as I've seen both teams play lately and they've impressed me. But this could go literally anywhere.
D: Three-way clash. I'll predict England to end up short, but again, form at the time of the World Cup will be crucial.
E: This is a somewhat weak group for sure, but not as easy as some make it out. France so often fails to impress and I don't think they like Switzerland, which is a solid team they've had trouble with in the past. Ecuador can certainly make it too. Even in this so-called weak group, I don't think Honduras has a real shot.
F: Argentina should make it for sure. I'm gonna go with Bosnia for second place ahead of Nigeria, but this is close. I think this is actually the weakest group in terms of competition for the top team.
G: The hardest group for sure, but I do think Germany and Portugal will make it, as they are a notch stronger than Ghana (two notches in the case of Germany).
H: We should advance from this and leave it to Russia and Korea to fight for second place.
The reason teams like Australia, USA, and Iran have high rankings is they dominate their regions and never play their lower continental opponents in order to qualify for tournaments. However European teams get to qualify (for WC and EURO) in groups with San Marino, Estonia, Azerbaijan, etc. Do you see USA playing Barbados or Nicaragua for the right to be in the WC? Do you see Iran and Australia playing Kyrgyzstan or Myanmar? No.
There is no doubt in my mind that United States is a top 15 team right now.
----
Anyone doubting France (and it's not like I support them) is mistaken. They will be out to show that the South Africa 2010 disaster was a fluke. The way they destroyed a up-and-coming Ukraine team to qualify was powerful. Everyone says they had bad qualifying...because they finished second to Spain in a group...whoa! They drew at Madrid and lost 1-0 at home when Spain was at their most desperate (after having drawn to Finland).
Cameroon can't be counted out??? Hats off to them for beating a wily veteran Tunisian squad, but a sliding one. Cameroon has been down for years now. They couldn't even beat Cape Verde Islands to make the last African Nations Cup. They are a classic participation ribbon team. I'm sorry.
Yeah, we play a home and away game against San Marino and then we're qualified.
Typically the UEFA qualifying groups do contain one very weak team each, yes. They also each contain one or two teams that are stronger than any CONCACAF team. Overall, the UEFA qualifying groups are of roughtly similar strength to the final qualifying round in CONCACAF, the Hexagonal. Except only 1.44 teams per group advance (the first one advances, the 8 best second places play play-off matches) while from the Hex 3.9 teams advance (or how should I rate a play-off match vs New Zealand?)
There is no doubt in mine that they aren't. If you want a really objective and professional rating of a team, just look at betting sites. Their living depends on correctly estimating the strength of each team, which means they are actually motivated to be correct. Just looking at the odds of the US to make it out of the group stage should tell you enough - 13 to 1. They're estimated lower than Ghana which is ranked 24th at FIFA (or is Ghana also a top 15 team? I guess they must be, since they knocked out the US twice). England and Chile, which also have murder groups and are ranked 13 and 15 (so right next to US) get 3.25 to 1 and 5 to 1, respectively.
USA are listed 20th favorite to win the WC, tied with Bosnia, Croatia, Ecuador and Ghana. The bottom two spots are for CONCACAF teams.
Sources:
http://www.worldcupodds.com/world-cup-betting
http://world-cup.betting-directory.com
The biggest thing about your ranking is that it's over a 12 year span, which means literally NOTHING to Belgium next year. When you started the rankings, most of these guys were younger then 15 years old. A lot of them were play u19 or under during the 06 cup. Even rankings including 2010 would barely cover some of these guys who are tremendously important parts of the team, which is huge considering Belgium isn't a powerhouse country like Germany or France.
France drew with Georgia and lost 2-0 to Ukraine before beating them 3-0 and their group was arguably the weakest - Finland, Georgia, Belarus and Spain aren't exactly fantastic. Also their Euros 2012 was a disaster 4 points in the group, lost to Sweden and drew a disappointing England squad that was without their best player. Oh and got smoked by Spain.
Also yes, Cameroon is bad.
They did not play Barbados or Nicaragua this time, but they did play against Antigua and Berbuda and Guatemala (for example), as a matter of fact.
But to make a point against the betting sites bit, whomever has Costa Rica's and Honduras' chances of winning lower then Austrailia or Cameroon's is on some serious drugs. I am willing to bet anything that BOTH Costa Rica and Honduras will have more group stage points then Austrailia(who will most assuredly have 0). Cameroon is playing a weaker group but they are also a good guess at 0 points but not so rock solid on it, tbh. Costa Rica has a tremendously tough group but I wouldn't be surprised if they snuck a point out and I guarantee Honduras will at least get 1 point(probably out of France).
Glad to see a previous group simulator of Colombia and USA has been proven wrong. My grandfather who died this year was Colombian, I'm the 2nd person to be born in the US after my disowned sister. He would be so proud to see them make the World Cup.
Me and my mom were talking and we have no clue what we would do if they met down the line.
I feel the same way about if Denmark and the US ever meet. I'll be so torn.
Being a soccer player in America is like being an artist in the dark ages, no one wants to see your stuff and every one else is trying to get you to do something else (grid iron football). Even in my senior year of high school I was tempted to abandon the captain-ship of my squad for a place as the kicker on my school's gridiron team.
The development of academies, the expansion of the MLS, and the increase of MLS player wages will hopefully be good steps in producing higher quality US squads in the future.
http://www.footysimulator.co.uk
The Team Selection screen to setup a matchup between any country in the world is here:
http://www.footysimulator.co.uk/SelectTeams/
You have to register for free to use it, but it's 100% free.
Group C just got blown wide open.
Apologies, I know how much it can hurt when someone is one letter off, I hope that you and your loved ones survived the fracas, as the error is now fixed. If you need any help, since it was my gross negligence that led to the misplacement of one letter that affected you so deeply, I'd be glad to offer it.
That being said, I'm interested to see where Group C as a whole goes from here. Colombia has more quality than just Falcao, but Falcao is also a complete game-changer for them. I still think Colombia will make it out of the group stages, it just might be more of a struggle for them.
We have moved past our initial stage of grieving which is sadness and furthermore I have just received a mass text saying we have also passed the anger stage. I think you're in the clear.
I will pass along your positivity about making it out of our group stage as a token of good will.
I like you. I like this post. I think it's gonna be Colombia and a toss up. I need to research teams more in this group.
Also as an Argentinian I'm really looking up to gettin those 9 points, the fact that Spain, Brazil, and Germany, if ending first in their group, go to a different part of the bracket, makes me think we actually have a shot at it. What I don't like is our defence. My analysis, if someone wants another opinion:
Group A: Brazil should take this with some ease. I do believe is crucial for Croatia to not be broken in mentality so they can grab some points vs the other two teams. Mexico vs Cameroon is probably the most important match for both teams, whoever can get a win there will have serious chances of getting by.
Group B: Spain is playing good footy and Strootman's injury for Netherlands might be a problem. But the Orange Clockwork can do some nasty stuff, and given the pressure that whoever qualifies as second probably goes against Brazil, they'll fight for first place. Chile, under the management of Sampaoli, Bielsa's disciple, are doing one hell of a job training against high tier squads. If they keep it cool they also have a shot at first place. Australia made some noise against Ecuador, but I'm seeing them a little bit behind.
Group C: Up for anyone. Really. Anything can happen here. They are 4 nations which want to make history. Whoever can remain calm will take it.
Group D: This group is going to be nice. 3 world champions, and 1 team making things quite well. I do see Costa Rica maybe getting nervous for all the heavyweights in their group, but England hasn't been doing things extremely well this past years, and the Catenaccio strategy of the Italian football is ineficcient because I don't see Italians having those strong defenders from past time. I see Uruguay as a favorite due to the fact that they tend to outperform themselves when facing high pressure.
Group E: This is one of the groups that will demonstrate why the FIFA ranking system is pure bulls*it. France probably has the upper hand, and the rest of the teams have a nice shot at second place (maybe Honduras a little less)
Group F: I hope Argentina can take it. We've defeated Bosnia a couple of months ago, but anything can happen in a World Cup. I could see Bosnia and Nigeria fighting for second place, and Iran might give a surprise.
Group G: 10 years ago, this would be a no-brainer: Germany first, Portugal second. But United States and Ghana had really make a lot of progress this past few years and I do believe that besides Germany probably grabbing the first place, the second place is up for anyone, specially if someone can get a point (or even three) from the Germans.
Group H: In the papers, Belgium seems like the candidate to take the whole 9 points, but I do think they have great players but are a little bit overrated. Russia has shown some great teamwork and better showcase against high tier teams. South Korea and Algeria are possibly a bit behind. It would be no surprise for me if Russia gets first place.
Shame that Benteke is out now though, a key cog in the revolution of kids at Belgium, plus a prime player who's value could've skyrocketed after the World Cup to help out Villa.
GROUP A
Brazil 1:0 Croatia
Mexico 2:0 Cameroon
Brazil 2:1 Mexico
Cameroon 0:0 Croatia
Cameroon 1:2 Brazil
Croatia 3:1 Mexico
Brazil (9) Croatia (4) Mexico (3) Cameroon (1)
Surprise Results: CMR/CRO, CMR/BRA
Glamour Match: BRA/MEX
Key Match: CRO/MEX
Group B
Spain 1:0 Netherlands
Chile 3:0 Australia
Spain 4:2 Chile
Australia 0:3 Netherlands
Australia 1:2 Spain
Netherlands 3:1 Chile
Spain (9) Netherlands (6) Chile (3) Australia (0)
Surprise: AUS/ESP
Entertainment: ESP/CHI
Glamour: ESP/NED
Key Match: NED/CHI
Group C
Colombia 1:1 Greece
Ivory Coast 2:1 Japan
Colombia 1:0 Ivory Coast
Japan 1:1 Greece
Japan 0:0 Colombia
Greece 1:2 Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast (6) Colombia (5) Greece (2) Japan (2)
Best Match: COL/CIV
Key Match: GRE/CIV
Group D
Uruguay 2:1 Costa Rica
England 1:1 Italy
Uruguay 1:2 England
Italy 3:0 Costa Rica
Italy 1:1 Uruguay
Costa Rica 0:4 England
England (7) Italy (5) Uruguay (4) Costa Rica (0)
Surprise: URU/CRC, URU/ENG
Glamour/Best: ENG/ITA
Key Match: ITA/URU
Group E
Switzerland 0:1 Ecuador
France 0:1 Honduras
Switzerland 0:2 France
Honduras 0:2 Ecuador
Honduras 0:2 Switzerland
Ecuador 0:1 France
France (6) Ecuador (6) Switzerland (3) Honduras (3)
Surprise: FRA/HON
Key Matches: SUI/ECU, SUI/FRA
Group F
Argentina 1:2 Bosnia/Herzegovina
Iran 0:0 Nigeria
Argentina 2:1 Iran
Nigeria 0:1 Bosnia/Herzegovina
Nigeria 1:2 Argentina
Bosnia/Herzegovina 4:0 Iran
Bosnia (9) Argentina (6) Nigeria (1) Iran (1)
Best/Entertaining/Key Match: ARG/BIH
Surprise: ARG/IRN
Group G
Germany 1:1 Portugal
Ghana 2:1 United States
Germany 2:0 Ghana
United States 2:0 Portugal
United States 2:3 Germany
Portugal 1:2 Ghana
Germany (7) Ghana (6) USA (3) Portugal (1)
Glamour: GER/POR, USA/GER
Entertaining: USA/GER
Key Match: POR/GHA
Group H
Belgium 2:0 Algeria
Russia 3:1 South Korea
Belgium 0:1 Russia
South Korea 1:0 Algeria
South Korea 0:1 Belgium
Algeria 1:0 Russia
Russia (6) Belgium (6) South Korea (3) Algeria (3)
Surprise: ALG/RUS
Best Match: BEL/RUS
Round of 16
Brazil 1:1 Netherlands (2-4 pen)
Spain 4:1 Croatia
Ivory Coast 2:2 Italy (5-6 pen)
England 2:1 Colombia
France 2:1 Argentina (a.e.t.)
Bosnia 3:1 Ecuador
Germany 2:0 Belgium
Russia 2:1 Ghana
Europe takes over WC 2014! The quarterfinals look like a EURO Final Knockout Stage!
Quarterfinals
Netherlands 0:1 Italy
Spain 2:1 England
France 2:1 Germany
Bosnia 3:2 Russia
Semifinals
Italy 0:1 France
Spain 2:1 Bosnia
3rd Place
Italy 3:4 Bosnia (a.e.t.)
Final
France 0:3 Spain
Spain repeats in this Spanish core's final bow, France makes amends for the disaster in South Africa 2010, Bosnia comes on strong and Brazil is shocked in the R16 on their home soil!
Man of the Tournament: Iniesta (ESP)
Golden Boot: Mario Balotelli (ITA) (7 goals)
Group A
Brazil - Croatia 2-0
Mexico - Cameroon 2-1
Brazil - Mexico 3-1
Cameroon - Croatia 1-1
Cameroon - Brazil 0-3
Croatia - Mexico 2-2
1. Brazil 8-1 9p
2. Mexico 7-4 4p
3. Croatia 3-5 2p
4. Cameroon 2-6 1p
Group B
Spain - Netherlands 1-0
Chile - Australia 1-0
Australia - Netherlands 1-3
Spain - Chile 2-0
Australia - Spain 0-1
Netherlands - Chile 2-1
1. Spain 5-1 9p
2. Netherlands 5-3 6p
3. Chile 2-4 3p
4. Australia 1-5 0p
Group C
Colombia - Greece 2-1
Ivory Coast - Japan 1-1
Colombia - Ivory Coast 1-1
Japan - Greece 0-0
Japan - Colombia 1-2
Greece - Ivory Coast 0-1
1. Colombia 5-3 7p
2. Ivory Coast 3-2 5p
3. Japan 2-3 2p
4. Greece 1-3 1p
Group D
Uruguay - Costa Rica 2-0
England - Italy 1-1
Uruguay - England 2-1
Italy - Costa Rica 2-1
Italy - Uruguay 1-1
Costa Rica - England 0-3
1. Uruguay 5-2 7p
2. Italy 4-3 5p
3. England 5-3 4p
4. Costa Rica 1-7 0p
Group E
Switzerland - Ecuador 0-0
France - Honduras 1-0
Switzerland - France 0-1
Honduras - Equador 1-2
Honduras - Switzerland 1-1
Ecuador - France 1-1
1. France 3-1 7p
2. Ecuador 3-2 5p
3. Switzerland 1-2 2p
4. Honduras 1-3 1p
Group F
Argentina - Bosnia 2-0
Iran - Nigeria 1-1
Argentina - Iran 2-0
Nigeria - Bosnia 1-2
Nigeria - Argentina 1-3
Bosnia - Iran 1-1
1. Argentina 7-1 9p
2. Bosnia 3-4 4p
3. Iran 2-4 2p
4. Nigeria 3-6 1p
Group G
Germany - Portugal 3-2
Ghana - USA 2-1
Germany - Ghana 2-0
USA - Portugal 1-2
USA - Germany 0-1
Portugal - Ghana 1-1
1. Germany 6-2 9p
2. Portugal 5-5 4p
3. Ghana 3-4 4p
4. USA 2-5 0p
Group H
Belgium - Algeria 1-0
Russia - South Korea 2-1
Belgium - Russia 1-1
South Korea - Algeria 2-0
South Korea - Belgium 1-1
Algeria - Russia 0-1
1. Russia 4-2 7p
2. Belgium 3-2 5p
3. South Korea 4-3 4p
4. Algeria 0-4 0p
Round of 16
Brazil - Netherlands 3-1
Colombia - Italy 1-1 (Italy advances after penalties)
France - Bosnia 2-0
Germany - Belgium 2-1
Spain - Mexico 2-0
Uruguay - Ivory Coast 2-0
Argentina - Ecuador 3-1
Russia - Portugal 1-2
Quarterfinals
Brazil - Italy 2-0
France - Germany 1-2
Spain - Uruguay 1-0
Argentina - Portugal 2-1
Semifinals
Brazil - Germany 1-2
Spain - Argentina 0-2
3rd place playoff
Brazil - Spain 2-1
Final
Argentina - Germany 0-1
So yeah, I predict a replay of the 1990 final. The top scorer will be Higuain (Argentina).
A)
1- Brazil
2- Mexico
3- Croatia
4- Cameroon
B)
1- Spain
2- Chile
3- Netherlands
4- Australia
C)
1- Colombia
2- Japan
3- Cote d'Ivoire
4- Greece
D)
1- Uruguay
2- Italy
3- England
4- Costa Rica
E)
1- Switzerland
2- France
3- Ecuador
4- Honduras
F)
1- Argentina
2- Bosnia
3- Iran
4- Nigeria
G)
1- Germany
2- Portugal
3- Ghana
4- USA
H)
1- Belgium
2- Russia
3- Algeria
4- South Korea
Play-offs:
Brazil def. Chile
Spain def. Mexico
Colombia def. Italy
Japan def. Uruguay
Switzerland def. Bosnia
Argentina def. France
Germany def. Russia
Belgium def. Portugal
Brazil def. Colombia
Spain def. Japan
Germany def. Switzerland
Belgium def. Argentina
Germany def. Brazil
Spain def. Belgium
3rd place: Brazil def. Belgium
Final: Germany def. Spain