Cancer Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 Yes, the US wet themselves and didn't make the tournament this year. Some of us will try to watch anyway. First game is June 14, the final on July 15, all in Russia. Today they did the draw for the group stage. From each group of 4, the top 2 teams advance into single-elimination play leading to the final. The group draws: GROUP A: Russia, Uruguay, Egypt, Saudi Arabia GROUP B: Portugal, Spain, Iran, Morocco GROUP C: France, Peru, Denmark, Australia GROUP D: Argentina, Croatia, Iceland, Nigeria GROUP E: Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia GROUP F: Germany, Mexico, Sweden, South Korea GROUP G: Belgium, England, Tunisia, Panama GROUP H: Poland, Colombia, Senegal, Japan English media are exceedingly pleased with England's draw: Belgium and England should advance easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hopcroft Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 I expect Putin to play this for maximum propaganda value. The absence of the USA probably bothers him immensely, because the Americans are one people he definitely wants to impress. ("We're not your enemy. You don't want us to be your enemy.") It's hard to figure out this year's "Group of Death". There always is one -- a group so potent that it's a real challenge for any of the teams to make it out to the knockout stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 Soccer doesn't normally hold my interest but I'll still pick favorites. Mind you, I have no idea which teams are good and which ones suck. Group A: I'm cheering on Uruguay because well, they don't tamper with our elections and I'm tired of the Middle East. Group B: Go Portugal. Because, uhm why not? Little countries need love too Group C: Australia! I like most Australians I've met online, and they deserve for love just for living in a land where everything seems out to kill them. Group D: Iceland, because they did to their bankers what we should have done. Group E: Brazil because, isn't Soccer their game or something? Group F: South Korea, because they deserve a nice distraction Group G: England, because some bloke there will be marrying one of our amazing actresses there. Group H: Poland , I am told I am 25% Polish (or maybe some other Slavic nationality in hiding) I'll peek in here now and then and see how my picks are doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted December 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 The chatter I've heard so far is that Mexico got a really adverse draw, with Germany, and Sweden whose play style the Mexicans have generally had trouble with. The Russian climate will also hurt them: it's cool enough the Europeans can play their all-out-90-minute game without going into heat prostration, which is what happens if you try that in Central or South America. Group A is ridiculously easy; essentially the bottom-ranked team from each pot (and as host Russia had to be in the first pot) was drawn here. If there was a fix to make sure Russia made it to the group stage, this is pretty much what would come of that. The three CONCACAF (North & Central America) teams all got difficult draws. Group E is nightmarish for Costa Rica, and Panama probably has no chance against the two European teams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
death tribble Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 1 hour ago, Cancer said: GROUP A: Russia, Uruguay, Egypt, Saudi Arabia GROUP B: Portugal, Spain, Iran, Morocco GROUP C: France, Peru, Denmark, Australia GROUP D: Argentina, Croatia, Iceland, Nigeria GROUP E: Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia GROUP F: Germany, Mexico, Sweden, South Korea GROUP G: Belgium, England, Tunisia, Panama GROUP H: Poland, Colombia, Senegal, Japan Russia should get through from Group A Portugal and Spain should get through Group B France should get through Group C Argentina should get through Group D Brazil should get through Group E Germany should get through Group F Belgium and England should get through Group G Group H maybe Poland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted December 2, 2017 Report Share Posted December 2, 2017 Aussies seem to have a good group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted December 2, 2017 Report Share Posted December 2, 2017 I'm still just so happy that we knocked out the Italians. I give us even odds on placing second in our group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starlord Posted December 2, 2017 Report Share Posted December 2, 2017 I'm stuck rooting for the wife's team, Brazil. Still, there's always 2022! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pariah Posted December 2, 2017 Report Share Posted December 2, 2017 How do Italy's chances look this year? What? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted December 2, 2017 Report Share Posted December 2, 2017 1 minute ago, Pariah said: How do Italy's chances look this year? What? Not great, Greece is still pissed about that bad break up in the summer, and Austria says she needs to focus on her study and doesn't have time for a boyfriend Pariah and tkdguy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted December 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2017 .. and Switzerland is in a foursome (!!) with Brazil and two other mooks. :heartbreak: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted December 3, 2017 Report Share Posted December 3, 2017 Well, a month without baseball in the middle of baseball season, again All so ESPN can show soccer games between countries, only I've ever heard of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted December 3, 2017 Report Share Posted December 3, 2017 7 minutes ago, Badger said: Well, a month without baseball in the middle of baseball season, again All so ESPN can show soccer games between countries, only I've ever heard of. https://www.youtube.com/user/GeographyNow He's only got down to the Ks, but great show if you want to brush up on your geography Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted December 3, 2017 Report Share Posted December 3, 2017 Yeah, I pretty much know most every country name. I had an interest in finding out back in college one day, and went about finding out. Note: I think I started that project, when they laid into Bush during the 2000 election, over not knowing some country's name, and wondered just how much it would take to know such trivia. (now I couldn't name the capitals, but, I'd probably be 95% on location in the world-aka what continent, or what sea/ocean in the case of Pacific islands and Carribbean nations) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st barbara Posted December 3, 2017 Report Share Posted December 3, 2017 So Australia only has to beat France, Denmark and Peru. So nice of them to give us an easy group. Bazza, assault and Sundog 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted December 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2017 To advance, you only have to beat two of them. Not quite so bad. assault 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted December 3, 2017 Report Share Posted December 3, 2017 Australian teams are actually reasonably good - at everything except actually scoring goals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted December 3, 2017 Report Share Posted December 3, 2017 11 hours ago, assault said: Australian teams are actually reasonably good - at everything except actually scoring goals. Do own goals count? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starlord Posted December 3, 2017 Report Share Posted December 3, 2017 Run away, Aussies, run away!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted December 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2017 Better JK than Il Bruce, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hopcroft Posted February 11, 2018 Report Share Posted February 11, 2018 I must say, the stadium architecture for the World Cop arenas looks very interesting. It won't matter once the matches are underway (unless due to some massive architectural blunder one of the new arenas falls down mid-match), but the aerial shots will be interesting. Kaliningrad, in the former East Prussia, hosts four matches in the group stage in a newly-constructed arena that seats just over 35,000. In an unrelated note, I'm concerned about how non-white players and predominantly non-white teams (like Brazil and the African countries) are going to be treated in a very racist Russian society. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted February 11, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2018 How has that gone in, e.g., Olympics hosted there in years gone by? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hopcroft Posted February 15, 2018 Report Share Posted February 15, 2018 On 2/11/2018 at 9:31 AM, Cancer said: How has that gone in, e.g., Olympics hosted there in years gone by? I'm not sure what happened in Moscow in 1980; that was the year that the US boycotted the Games and most of her allies joined them, over the invasion of Afganistan (it's amazing how many of the changes there have been stemmed from that one operation), So the data would be definitely skewed by the absence of these teams. In Russia's top-flight football league, there is a quota of foreign-born players and the few non-white players in the league are booed incessantly with no intervention from Russian Soccer officials. They also receive many other forms of harassment, subtle or otherwise. Generally speaking, the Russian league is of decent quality but playing conditions are horrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted June 11, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2018 Matches start later this week. The time difference is awkward: PACIFIC DAYLIGHT game start times are as early as 3 AM and as late as 11 AM. Looks like I should be able to see all of it for free on rabbit ears, between Fox in English, and the Spanish language network. I tend to watch stuff muted, so language makes little difference. First up: Thursday at 8 AM, Russia - Saudi Arabia. I don't have a favorite in the tournament, so I'll be rooting against Russia, and for underdogs, North American, and anglophone countries, more or less in that order of preference. Call me a bigot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pariah Posted June 11, 2018 Report Share Posted June 11, 2018 I don't claim to know much about that other kind of football--the kind where players actually use their feet--but I will say this: I hope Russia exits the World Cup without scoring a goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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