[+] Let's talk about the World Cup!

[Eyes of Nine]

It’s part of the Australian excuse for not being stronger on the world stage in football.
Although everyone plays it as a kid and it has the highest participation numbers, in terms of popularity it’s behind AFL, NRL and cricket.

As a former RU player - that's the code played at US colleges mostly - I'm always surprised at RL's popularity around the world. I guess it's due to Rugby League embracing professionalism at its inception, and Rugby Union having to be dragged kicking and screaming out of secret payments to players and into the open.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

So... Final 8 decided.

Who's in the semi's? I've got my heart picks and my reality picks, sometimes the same, sometimes not.

France v Spain is my reality pick, Morocco v Belgium is my heart pick.
Game 99 is a coin flip, I'm lukewarm on both. But my guess is Norway will win on PK.

I expect Norway Argentina in the semi's, but would love to see Switzerland there.

That said would LOVE to also see a non-Euro final of Morocco v Argentina, but that's gotta be a pipe dream.

Guess we'll see.

 

[jian]

So... Final 8 decided.

Who's in the semi's? I've got my heart picks and my reality picks, sometimes the same, sometimes not.

France v Spain is my reality pick, Morocco v Belgium is my heart pick.
Game 99 is a coin flip, I'm lukewarm on both. But my guess is Norway will win on PK.

I expect Norway Argentina in the semi's, but would love to see Switzerland there.

That said would LOVE to also see a non-Euro final of Morocco v Argentina, but that's gotta be a pipe dream.

Guess we'll see.

It’s a very Europe-heavy final 8, isn’t it? Only Morocco and Argentina who aren’t.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

It’s a very Europe-heavy final 8, isn’t it? Only Morocco and Argentina who aren’t.

I think that's pretty normal? 5 of 8 in 2022.

2018 similar breakdown, 6 of 8

2014 was full 50% were not European; but it was also in Brazil, so that may have made a difference.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Oh, 2010 was only 3 of 8, Spain Netherlands Germany. And yet final was Germany Netherlands


2006 6 of 8 were European.

2002 in Japan South Korea, 4 of 8 were UEFA.

etc etc etc

 

[GreyLord]

Well, I think I'm cheering for England, and then also Spain...but who knows what happens next.

This is where things are really tense.

 

[delericho]

Who's in the semi's?

France/Spain and England/Argentina in the semis, Spain/Argentina in the final. Argentina (probably) to win.

I think the most likely mistake in there is France/Morocco, but I'd still take Spain to win the relevant semi-final.

 

[Horwath]

Oh, 2010 was only 3 of 8, Spain Netherlands Germany. And yet final was Germany Netherlands


2006 6 of 8 were European.

2002 in Japan South Korea, 4 of 8 were UEFA.

etc etc etc

it averages out to 5/8 for QF for UEFA teams, which means that UEFA really has too few representatives in the world cup.
now it's 16/48, but should probably be 24/48 if we look at the ranking and Ro16 and QF numbers.

 

[AnotherGuy]

it averages out to 5/8 for QF for UEFA teams, which means that UEFA really has too few representatives in the world cup.
now it's 16/48, but should probably be 24/48 if we look at the ranking and Ro16 and QF numbers.

Why?
When you put weaker teams in you're likely to get crazy scores and multitude of strikers on 6-7+ goals. This is the World Cup, not the qualifiers.
I don't need Argentina having another easy run.

 

[Horwath]

Why?
When you put weaker teams in you're likely to get crazy scores and multitude of strikers on 6-7+ goals. This is the World Cup, not the qualifiers.
I don't need Argentina having another easy run.

crazy scores are for friendly matches and some fluke games that happen here and there, like Germany trashing Brazil in 2014.

I would rather watch tense 1-0 game or similar result than some 8-0 bashing of a weak team, where only worry is for winner to not humiliate the opponent, as usually coaches advise players to kick down a gear when you are 5 goals ahead.