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The Round of 16


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Saturday December 3
Netherlands 3-1 USA - 3pm
Argentina 2-1 Australia - 7pm

 

Sunday December 4
France 3-1 Poland - 3pm

England 3-0 Senegal - 7pm

 

Monday December 5
Japan 1-1 (p) Croatia - 3pm
Brazil 4-1 South Korea - 7pm

 

Tuesday December 6
Morocco (p) 0-0 Spain - 3pm
Portugal 6-1 Switzerland - 7pm

 

FjAL-DPXECIRo-U (1).png

 

Lets go!

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Netherlands haven't looked great, we can get through on penalties. Argentina are choke artists and will lose to the USA 1-0, our only goal of the knockout stages, Japan the giant killers will take out Brazil but they will struggle against the comparatively diminutive USMNT and we'll be able to take them out on penalties. Then we're in the final and anything can happen, lots of pressing and graft and panicky defending will lead the United States of America to a 0-0 against France, where we win on penalties.

 

Bing, bang, boom, champions.

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Brazil are really lucky that the Swiss didn't bag a 4th goal towards the end there. Would have gone from a likely South Korea - Japan/Croatia - Netherlands/Argentina run to the final to likely Portugal - Spain - France/England.  Definitely would rather have the former - even acknowledging that anything can happen in this tournament.

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It is oddly liberating to be paired against the one team I can’t even vaguely envision us beating.

 

If we had England or something I’d be like “eh… they’re better but maybe…” the hope would be agonizing.

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Made this point before but great to see a decent mix of regions represented:

UEFA 8
AFC 3 (basically an Oceania rep in there)
CAF 2 (1 West African and 1 North)
CONMEBOL 2
CONCACAF 1

Very similar to 2002 in that sense. Poland through over the other teams in that group only real disappointment for me.

 

Pressure on a South American side to win it in a way. Peru going out in the play-off and both Uruguay/Ecuador crashing out in the groups is a big underperformance for the continent.

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By contrast 2018 was:

UEFA 10
CONMEBOL 4
CONCACAF 1
AFC 1

Much more Europe/South America centric. England's side of the draw that year in particular felt basically like a Euros.

Shows perhaps that hosting it in different locations can impact performance. It must be of relevance that the Asian countries will have been used to playing in Qatar and other Gulf states in the past.

 

 

Edited by ponsaelius

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18 minutes ago, ponsaelius said:

By contrast 2018 was:

UEFA 10
CONMEBOL 4
CONCACAF 1
AFC 1

Much more Europe/South America centric. England's side of the draw that year in particular felt basically like a Euros.

Shows perhaps that hosting it in different locations can impact performance. It must be of relevance that the Asian countries will have been used to playing in Qatar and other Gulf states in the past.

 

 

 


You’d think so. That and the lack of prep has definitely made a difference albeit not in the way I’d have thought it would albeit teams that have a slight club feel (absolutely subjective to me) around them do seem to have done better.

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2 minutes ago, TRC said:

I think the only guaranteed teams going through are England, Brazil and Argentina. The others have upset potential.

Gotta funny feeling Brazil don't make the semis me. Either South Korea or Croatia will cause a canny shock...

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6 minutes ago, TRC said:

I think the only guaranteed teams going through are England, Brazil and Argentina. The others have upset potential.

Hmmm. I think there’s something about Senegal.  And South Korea, but I can’t see Brazil not showing up.  I agree about Argentina - Australia though, appears to be a guaranteed win.

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