The Confederations Cup group stage is now complete and the tournament has gone pretty much as expected-- no upsets whatsoever. As expected, Spain, Brazil, Uruguay, and Italy will be moving on to the semifinals.
Remaining schedule:
June 26th: Semifinal 1
Brazil vs Uruguay: it's going to be a South American showdown for the first semifinal. Uruguay could win this one but Brazil has been playing better lately and they have done very well in this tournament. Even they haven't played up to their normal standards over the past few major tournaments, I think they are really using the fact that they are hosts to their advantage in both this tournament and they should do well in next year's World Cup. They shutout both Japan and Mexico. Italy scored 2 goals against them but Brazil still beat the Italians 4-2. Uruguay is very familiar with Brazil so I think it will be a closer and very entertaining match.
June 27th: Semifinal 2
Spain vs Italy: a rematch of the Euro 2012 final. I don't really care for either team but when a team wins 2 Euro Cups in a row and one World Cup, I say enough is enough. I hope Italy doesn't screw up like they did in the Euro 2012 final.
June 30th: Third place playoff and title match
Before I wrap up this post, I want to give my pre-knockout round ranking since I haven't posted about this tournament much at all and I would like to discuss the other teams that were eliminated a little bit.
1. Spain: Even though Brazil and Italy could still be in Spain's way, I think Spain will win this tournament. They shutout both Tahiti and Nigeria, scoring 13 goals in total against these two teams (10 of these goals against Tahiti). Only Uruguay scored against them.
2. Brazil: For this tournament, I consider Brazil a favorite to win it all. They won Group A and took all 9 points as they were expected to, but I expected the game against Italy to be a little closer and not high scoring. Brazil shutout every opponent except for Italy and scored a total of 9 goals. Italy ruined a their chance for a clean sheet.
3. Uruguay qualified for the Confederations Cup as champions of the 2011 Copa America, South America's continental tournament. Uruguay got the group stage with 6 points losing only to Spain in a 2-1 loss. Uruguay will probably be in the 3rd place match and will most likely play Italy in the match as the final will most likely be between defending world champions Spain and hosts Brazil.
4. Italy has been disappointing in my opinion. While they did earn 6 points in the group, these were in matches they were expected to win. The 2006 World Cup champions should have kept the match against Brazil closer. I just hope that the semifinal against Spain isn't a repeat of the Euro 2012 final. Italy is lucky just to be a part of the Confederations Cup.
5. Nigeria, who qualified by winning the African Cup of Nations , won only one match-- a 6-1 defeat against Tahiti. I have to admit that I didn't watch Nigeria play. They kept a close 2-1 loss against Uruguay while Spain shut the African side out 3-0. Nigeria is usually a favorite to qualify for the World Cup finals so we should be seeing them back in Brazil in at least the group stage next year. They are currently in 1st place in their second round qualifying group with only 1 match left to play. The match is against Malawi, the only surviving member of the group. A draw is enough to get Nigeria out of the group and into the final stage of qualifying which is in a two legged playoff format.
6. Mexico did what could be expected of them. However, I have to say that the Americans were much better representative of the CONCACAF region in the 2009 Confederations Cup when the CONCACAF team actually made it the final much to the surprise of the 2008 Euro Cup champions Spain who ended up playing for third place against the South Africans The Mexicans could have played better than they did against Italy.
7. Japan is supposed to be one of the stronger teams in Asia. They were the first Asian and the first team general to qualify and join hosts Brazil in next year's World Cup finals. However, in this tournament, they did not do well. To their credit, they were not in an easy group. They did, however, have a strong showing against the Italians in a close 4-3 loss after losing to Brazil 3-0. They kept it close against Mexico but it wasn't enough to save their pride as they left Brazil with 0 points.
8. Tahiti, the Oceanian champion, had their moment on the world stage. What else is there to say about a national team that never really had a chance in the first place. They scored 1 goal against Nigeria but conceded 24 in total.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Saturday, February 23, 2013
If World Cup qualifying ended tonight: 1-10
This summer, qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will hit crunch time-- the time of year when it will hit the one year mark until the World Cup finally begins, the FIFA Confederations Cup will take place, and national teams will make one final push to qualify for the biggest party in world football/soccer.
With that said, I thought it would be fun fun to look at how the seedings would look if qualifying ended today. I did this by taking the current FIFA World Rankings last published on Feb. 14th. I went one by one through each team on the rankings and consulted the current World Cup qualifying standings. If the team is currently in a position where they can qualify for the World Cup, I put them on a top 20 list of teams that will qualify for the big event if qualifying ended today. The teams in the world rankings that are currently not in a qualifying position, I put them on a list entitled "Top teams that may not join the party." I did this mainly to see what teams may miss out if they don't get their act together soon. I stopped until I hit 20 teams that will qualify for the World Cup based on current standings. I know, it's early, but time goes quickly and one mistake can screw it all up.
So here it goes:
1. Spain- There is no question that Spain will not qualify for the World Cup and I would even bet that they will make the final again. They seem almost unstoppable and made it look extremely easy in their Euro 2012 4-0 embarrassing shut out of Italy. Thank God I missed that game! Spain is currently at the top of Group I with 7 points (2-0-1) so they are not perfect and they are currently tied with 2nd place France who they tied 1-1. Spain started out slow against Georgia but improved greatly against Belarus. Their next qualifying match is on March 22nd against Finland.
2. Germany- again, there is no question on whether or not Germany will qualifying but lately they have been choking in the World Cup quarterfinals. They are currently at the top of Group C with 10 points. They are 3 points clear of second place Sweden but they are one match ahead of Sweden so Germany is not out of any kind of danger zone yet. They tied Sweden 4-4 at home in Berlin and they still have to play Sweden on the road in their last qualifying match in October. Sweden is Germany's only significant competition as they try to qualify directly by winning the group. Germany's next qualifying match is against Kazakhstan on March 22nd.
3. Argentina-- The top ranked non-European team in the current FIFA World Rankings could have a shot at winning the 2014 World Cup on their home continent but not so fast. Bitter rival Brazil is hosting the final tournament. My Brazilian sister in law once told me that Brazil losing to Argentina in any match even a friendly is even bigger than being eliminated in the World Cup. Brazil has not played at its usual high standard since they last lifted the trophy in 2002. A Brazil-Argentina final would be a great way to end the World Cup on South American soil. Argentina should qualify and with Brazil already qualified as host and therefore not participating in the South American qualifying tournament, Argentina should not have too much trouble and the other South American nations are full of surprises so this is a continent that I'm sure will not settled until the very end. After all, who knew Uruguay would have won the last Copa America and the two big heavyweights of South America would be eliminated so early? Argentina is currently at the top with 20 points-- thats 3 points (one win away) from 2nd place Ecuador-a team that does not regularly qualify for the big tournament. All teams have played 9 matches so far and have 7 matches to go. Argentina's next qualifying match will be on March 22nd against Venezuela-- currently 4th and in a qualifying position but is not in my top 20 because they are a weak team in and not high in the World Ranking. In my eyes, they are "on the bubble" as they say in College Basketball here in the States.
4. England- is another team that regularly qualifies but almost always chokes in the elimination round of the final tournament. They are currently runner up in Group H with 8 points, which 2 points behind first place MONTENEGRO, at team that never qualified for the World Cup and has not been a member of FIFA for very long. Kind of reminds me of Croatia in 1998. England and Montenegro are currently equal in matches but have not met yet so these two matches will be important to settle first place and automatic qualification. Runner up teams are then ranked separately and top 8 of the 9 have to play in a two legged playoff to determine the last 4 qualifiers from Europe. Montenegro is not in my top 20 ranking but if they have a few good wins (or draws) and remain at the top of their group, they may rise up in the FIFA World Rankings pretty quickly. They could be an interesting spoiler in the World Cup as well. England's next match is against San Marino on the road on March 22nd. They already beat San Marino at Wembley 5-0 so a win in San Marino could be what England needs to right the ship. Even if they stay #2, they should still qualify by winning the playoff but it will still be an embarrassment and would decrease team morale going into the final tournament.
5. Italy-- After a horrible 4-0 loss to Spain in the Euro 2012 final, Italy managed to regroup and is currently at the top of Group B with 10 points after four matches. However, they were drawn into an easy group. Their next qualifying match is on March 26th against Malta, a very weak team that they should defeat easily-- even a draw would be a failure!
6. Colombia- I don't really pay attention to South American soccer but Colombia must have had some impressive victories in order to be just outside of the top 5 in the FIFA World Rankings. If they keep it up, they could earn a seed in the World Cup finals if they qualify-- chances are in their favor as they are now third place in South America with 16 points-- thats 4 points behind first place Argentina and 1 point behind 2nd place Ecuador. Like I mentioned before, South America is always full of surprises and even the worst teams can cause huge upsets that create waves and ruin it for big teams like Argentina and Uruguay who are expected to qualify.
7. Netherlands-- I like the Dutch but they disappointed me in Euro 2012 so much so that I boycotted the Dutch by refusing to drink Heineken-- my boycott ended prematurely, however, as I went to a party during the summer and the only beer to drink was Heineken. However, they convinced me to root for them again as they had an impressive performance against Germany in a recent friendly. They are currently at the top of Group D and they are one of only two teams in UEFA qualifying to have a perfect record (the other Russia in Group F-- not even Spain has achieved that-- they have 1 tie). THe Netherlands sits at the top of the group with 12 points after 4 games. Next qualifying match is MArch 22nd against Estonia.
8. Croatia-- WARNING: I AM GOING TO BE EXTREMELY BIASED WHEN I TALK ABOUT MY BOYS-- THE VATRENI!!!!! Croatia started out their qualifying campaign, I have to admit, pretty slow against Macedonia. They are currently runner up in Group A but they are currently the best second place team and it is not over. Croatia tends to play horribly against weak teams during qualifying and they really surprise when it is time to play the bigger teams. It will definitely be time to impress as they play political rival, bitter rival/enemy Serbia. The game will be dirty. It may even get violent. They need to win this one, they have to win this one, not only because it will get them that much closer to qualification but also because of bragging rights. The last time the Croats played in what I like to call the "Battle of the Balkans" (after all these are arguably the best two teams in Balkans although Croatia is way better and Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro are now creeping in so out of all of the former Yugoslav nation, Serbia is starting to weaken) was in 1999 for Euro 2000 qualifying when Serbia was still in a union with Montenegro and they still had the Communist name "Yugoslavia." I will definitely watch this game and I am hoping to watch it in Florida where I can share the experience with a girl I met a year. If the Croatian Club of Florida or the Croatian Club of Tampa Bay does not have anything organized for this game (it will be a huge shame if they don't), but in the event that they don't, I will find a way to watch with her if I can get down there. I've been teaching her a lot about soccer and if I had to choose one game to give her an idea of the passion of the "beautiful game," it will definitely be Croatia-Serbia. I hope it is a clean one. I hope enough time has passed that the fans will keep the politics out but if you look at the current political situation in the region, I wouldn't bet on it. Extremist Serbs are angry at the success of the recent appeal and freedom of Croatian General Ante Gotovina from the Hague. In addition, fights have broken out between Croatian and Serbian fans during tennis matches since the last time the two teams played on the soccer field. So I wouldn't bet on a peaceful game. Croatia and Serbia will play on March 22nd. Belgium currently holds the top spot in the group with Croatia tied with them with 10 points and Serbia in third place with 4 points. If I had to predict, I think the match between Croatia and Serbia will be tight, maybe even scoreless but it will be a nailbiter-- exciting to the very last whistle ending the match. The fact that Croatia is just outside of the top 8 in the FIFA world ranking could mean that if they win a few more games, they could earn a seed for the World Cup. However, Brazil, which is currently ranked 18th due to the fact that they have only played friendlies which are worth less in points, gets an automatic seed as host, and therefore, Croatia will have to push to earn that seed if they qualify. It is not out of the realm of possibility though.
9. Russia-- is currently at the top of Group F with 12 points and a perfect record. Their next qualifying match is against Northern Ireland in Belfast on March 22nd. The only real competition Russia has in this group is Portugal. The Portuguese team has not been playing up to their normal standard lately and are currently 3rd in the group and if they keep this up, they may not qualify which will be very upsetting and will give Russia an upper-hand as they win the group.
10. Greece-- is currently the runner up in Group G with 10 points. They are behind group leader Bosnia and Herzegovina who also have 10 points but win the tiebreaker through goal difference (Bosnia has a GD of +13 vs Greece's +4). Greece tied Bosnia at home 0-0 so the next match against Bosnia on the road on March 22nd which is their next qualifying match will be a very important one if Greece wants to qualify comfortably in the top position. If Bosnia qualifies, it will be their debut World Cup.
So there you have it, my top 10 teams that will qualify for the world cup if qualification ended today. I wanted to do my complete top 20 tonight but it is passed 3 am here in New York and it is enough for one night. I will post the rest probably tomorrow-- if not, definitely before the next FIFA World rankings are released on March 14th and definitely before the next qualification matchday (March 22nd). If I go to Florida, it might be around the 15th as I might also go to the New York Islanders (my NHL team) game against the Tampa Bay Lightning-- if I do go, I'm hoping to go with the girl I mentioned above.
SNEAK PREVIEW: #11 on my top 20 is Ivory Coast and that is where I will begin my next post!
With that said, I thought it would be fun fun to look at how the seedings would look if qualifying ended today. I did this by taking the current FIFA World Rankings last published on Feb. 14th. I went one by one through each team on the rankings and consulted the current World Cup qualifying standings. If the team is currently in a position where they can qualify for the World Cup, I put them on a top 20 list of teams that will qualify for the big event if qualifying ended today. The teams in the world rankings that are currently not in a qualifying position, I put them on a list entitled "Top teams that may not join the party." I did this mainly to see what teams may miss out if they don't get their act together soon. I stopped until I hit 20 teams that will qualify for the World Cup based on current standings. I know, it's early, but time goes quickly and one mistake can screw it all up.
So here it goes:
1. Spain- There is no question that Spain will not qualify for the World Cup and I would even bet that they will make the final again. They seem almost unstoppable and made it look extremely easy in their Euro 2012 4-0 embarrassing shut out of Italy. Thank God I missed that game! Spain is currently at the top of Group I with 7 points (2-0-1) so they are not perfect and they are currently tied with 2nd place France who they tied 1-1. Spain started out slow against Georgia but improved greatly against Belarus. Their next qualifying match is on March 22nd against Finland.
2. Germany- again, there is no question on whether or not Germany will qualifying but lately they have been choking in the World Cup quarterfinals. They are currently at the top of Group C with 10 points. They are 3 points clear of second place Sweden but they are one match ahead of Sweden so Germany is not out of any kind of danger zone yet. They tied Sweden 4-4 at home in Berlin and they still have to play Sweden on the road in their last qualifying match in October. Sweden is Germany's only significant competition as they try to qualify directly by winning the group. Germany's next qualifying match is against Kazakhstan on March 22nd.
3. Argentina-- The top ranked non-European team in the current FIFA World Rankings could have a shot at winning the 2014 World Cup on their home continent but not so fast. Bitter rival Brazil is hosting the final tournament. My Brazilian sister in law once told me that Brazil losing to Argentina in any match even a friendly is even bigger than being eliminated in the World Cup. Brazil has not played at its usual high standard since they last lifted the trophy in 2002. A Brazil-Argentina final would be a great way to end the World Cup on South American soil. Argentina should qualify and with Brazil already qualified as host and therefore not participating in the South American qualifying tournament, Argentina should not have too much trouble and the other South American nations are full of surprises so this is a continent that I'm sure will not settled until the very end. After all, who knew Uruguay would have won the last Copa America and the two big heavyweights of South America would be eliminated so early? Argentina is currently at the top with 20 points-- thats 3 points (one win away) from 2nd place Ecuador-a team that does not regularly qualify for the big tournament. All teams have played 9 matches so far and have 7 matches to go. Argentina's next qualifying match will be on March 22nd against Venezuela-- currently 4th and in a qualifying position but is not in my top 20 because they are a weak team in and not high in the World Ranking. In my eyes, they are "on the bubble" as they say in College Basketball here in the States.
4. England- is another team that regularly qualifies but almost always chokes in the elimination round of the final tournament. They are currently runner up in Group H with 8 points, which 2 points behind first place MONTENEGRO, at team that never qualified for the World Cup and has not been a member of FIFA for very long. Kind of reminds me of Croatia in 1998. England and Montenegro are currently equal in matches but have not met yet so these two matches will be important to settle first place and automatic qualification. Runner up teams are then ranked separately and top 8 of the 9 have to play in a two legged playoff to determine the last 4 qualifiers from Europe. Montenegro is not in my top 20 ranking but if they have a few good wins (or draws) and remain at the top of their group, they may rise up in the FIFA World Rankings pretty quickly. They could be an interesting spoiler in the World Cup as well. England's next match is against San Marino on the road on March 22nd. They already beat San Marino at Wembley 5-0 so a win in San Marino could be what England needs to right the ship. Even if they stay #2, they should still qualify by winning the playoff but it will still be an embarrassment and would decrease team morale going into the final tournament.
5. Italy-- After a horrible 4-0 loss to Spain in the Euro 2012 final, Italy managed to regroup and is currently at the top of Group B with 10 points after four matches. However, they were drawn into an easy group. Their next qualifying match is on March 26th against Malta, a very weak team that they should defeat easily-- even a draw would be a failure!
6. Colombia- I don't really pay attention to South American soccer but Colombia must have had some impressive victories in order to be just outside of the top 5 in the FIFA World Rankings. If they keep it up, they could earn a seed in the World Cup finals if they qualify-- chances are in their favor as they are now third place in South America with 16 points-- thats 4 points behind first place Argentina and 1 point behind 2nd place Ecuador. Like I mentioned before, South America is always full of surprises and even the worst teams can cause huge upsets that create waves and ruin it for big teams like Argentina and Uruguay who are expected to qualify.
7. Netherlands-- I like the Dutch but they disappointed me in Euro 2012 so much so that I boycotted the Dutch by refusing to drink Heineken-- my boycott ended prematurely, however, as I went to a party during the summer and the only beer to drink was Heineken. However, they convinced me to root for them again as they had an impressive performance against Germany in a recent friendly. They are currently at the top of Group D and they are one of only two teams in UEFA qualifying to have a perfect record (the other Russia in Group F-- not even Spain has achieved that-- they have 1 tie). THe Netherlands sits at the top of the group with 12 points after 4 games. Next qualifying match is MArch 22nd against Estonia.
8. Croatia-- WARNING: I AM GOING TO BE EXTREMELY BIASED WHEN I TALK ABOUT MY BOYS-- THE VATRENI!!!!! Croatia started out their qualifying campaign, I have to admit, pretty slow against Macedonia. They are currently runner up in Group A but they are currently the best second place team and it is not over. Croatia tends to play horribly against weak teams during qualifying and they really surprise when it is time to play the bigger teams. It will definitely be time to impress as they play political rival, bitter rival/enemy Serbia. The game will be dirty. It may even get violent. They need to win this one, they have to win this one, not only because it will get them that much closer to qualification but also because of bragging rights. The last time the Croats played in what I like to call the "Battle of the Balkans" (after all these are arguably the best two teams in Balkans although Croatia is way better and Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro are now creeping in so out of all of the former Yugoslav nation, Serbia is starting to weaken) was in 1999 for Euro 2000 qualifying when Serbia was still in a union with Montenegro and they still had the Communist name "Yugoslavia." I will definitely watch this game and I am hoping to watch it in Florida where I can share the experience with a girl I met a year. If the Croatian Club of Florida or the Croatian Club of Tampa Bay does not have anything organized for this game (it will be a huge shame if they don't), but in the event that they don't, I will find a way to watch with her if I can get down there. I've been teaching her a lot about soccer and if I had to choose one game to give her an idea of the passion of the "beautiful game," it will definitely be Croatia-Serbia. I hope it is a clean one. I hope enough time has passed that the fans will keep the politics out but if you look at the current political situation in the region, I wouldn't bet on it. Extremist Serbs are angry at the success of the recent appeal and freedom of Croatian General Ante Gotovina from the Hague. In addition, fights have broken out between Croatian and Serbian fans during tennis matches since the last time the two teams played on the soccer field. So I wouldn't bet on a peaceful game. Croatia and Serbia will play on March 22nd. Belgium currently holds the top spot in the group with Croatia tied with them with 10 points and Serbia in third place with 4 points. If I had to predict, I think the match between Croatia and Serbia will be tight, maybe even scoreless but it will be a nailbiter-- exciting to the very last whistle ending the match. The fact that Croatia is just outside of the top 8 in the FIFA world ranking could mean that if they win a few more games, they could earn a seed for the World Cup. However, Brazil, which is currently ranked 18th due to the fact that they have only played friendlies which are worth less in points, gets an automatic seed as host, and therefore, Croatia will have to push to earn that seed if they qualify. It is not out of the realm of possibility though.
9. Russia-- is currently at the top of Group F with 12 points and a perfect record. Their next qualifying match is against Northern Ireland in Belfast on March 22nd. The only real competition Russia has in this group is Portugal. The Portuguese team has not been playing up to their normal standard lately and are currently 3rd in the group and if they keep this up, they may not qualify which will be very upsetting and will give Russia an upper-hand as they win the group.
10. Greece-- is currently the runner up in Group G with 10 points. They are behind group leader Bosnia and Herzegovina who also have 10 points but win the tiebreaker through goal difference (Bosnia has a GD of +13 vs Greece's +4). Greece tied Bosnia at home 0-0 so the next match against Bosnia on the road on March 22nd which is their next qualifying match will be a very important one if Greece wants to qualify comfortably in the top position. If Bosnia qualifies, it will be their debut World Cup.
So there you have it, my top 10 teams that will qualify for the world cup if qualification ended today. I wanted to do my complete top 20 tonight but it is passed 3 am here in New York and it is enough for one night. I will post the rest probably tomorrow-- if not, definitely before the next FIFA World rankings are released on March 14th and definitely before the next qualification matchday (March 22nd). If I go to Florida, it might be around the 15th as I might also go to the New York Islanders (my NHL team) game against the Tampa Bay Lightning-- if I do go, I'm hoping to go with the girl I mentioned above.
SNEAK PREVIEW: #11 on my top 20 is Ivory Coast and that is where I will begin my next post!
Friday, August 3, 2012
2014 World Cup Qualifying UEFA: Group B Predictions
Here are my predictions for group B of Europe's World Qualifying tournament:
1. Italy should win the group but they won't end with a perfect record. Denmark and Czech Republic will probably cause them some problems along the way. Italy definitely bounced back from their performance in the 2012 World Cup and they looked good in the group stage of Euro 2012 but what happened in the final. 4-0 against Spain made me laugh! Probably the worst final in Euro Cup history! After a 1-1 result against Spain in the group stage, I expected Italy keep it close. So, Italy definitely will qualify but I don't expect a perfect record, maybe even a loss to Czech Republic or Denmark on the road.
2. Denmark looked great at Euro 2012. They played a party in destroying my ESPN bracket after beating the Netherlands. I expect them to do well, maybe qualifying through the playoffs.
3. Czech Republic. It might be between Denmark and Czech Republic for playoff position in group B.
4. Bulgaria
5. Armenia
6. Malta
My next update and possible changes will be after the next round of friendlies which will be in mid-August.
1. Italy should win the group but they won't end with a perfect record. Denmark and Czech Republic will probably cause them some problems along the way. Italy definitely bounced back from their performance in the 2012 World Cup and they looked good in the group stage of Euro 2012 but what happened in the final. 4-0 against Spain made me laugh! Probably the worst final in Euro Cup history! After a 1-1 result against Spain in the group stage, I expected Italy keep it close. So, Italy definitely will qualify but I don't expect a perfect record, maybe even a loss to Czech Republic or Denmark on the road.
2. Denmark looked great at Euro 2012. They played a party in destroying my ESPN bracket after beating the Netherlands. I expect them to do well, maybe qualifying through the playoffs.
3. Czech Republic. It might be between Denmark and Czech Republic for playoff position in group B.
4. Bulgaria
5. Armenia
6. Malta
My next update and possible changes will be after the next round of friendlies which will be in mid-August.
2014 World Cup Qualifying UEFA predictions: Group A
Wow, I haven't posted on this blog since the last World. Sorry about that (if anyone out there is even reading this thing). A lot of things has happened in the past two years but I'm going to keep this blog about soccer and keep my life out of it.
Croatia had another disappointing Euro Cup this year. They started out very well against Ireland, was okay against Italy, but I thought they played well against the eventual champions Spain. Spain is unstoppable at this point and I see them possibly winning the World Cup again but a lot can happen in the next two years. Brazil is hosting and they have a reputation to salvage. Right now, I think a Spain-Brazil final could be very possible but I'm getting way ahead of myself. Let's start with qualifying. Here are my predictions of how group A will play out in UEFA qualifying.
1. Croatia should win this group. There only real competition is against Serbia, big rivals to say the lease. However, I am more worried about fan behavior than the actual game. Croatian fans did enough damage during Euro 2012 and this game could end up badly. Remember this and this. This kind of thing happens in every sport between the two nations but c'mon, it's a sport. Can we keep politics out of it just for the game? I'm only saying this because it screw the Croatian Soccer Federation with fines and punishment and sanctions from FIFA. The Croatian and Serbian teams haven't played on the senior level since 1999 for Euro 2000 qualifying when Serbia was still known as Yugoslavia still. Since then, the Serbian federation tried to organize a friendly with their political rivals but Stjepan Mesic, Croatian president at the time, put a stop to it. Good idea? Is it still too early for these teams to play? We'll see.
2. Serbia should take second place with not too much trouble which could qualify them depending on if they are top 8 out of the 9 second placed teams.
3. Scotland
4. Belgium
5. Wales
6. Macedonia
I know some people might make comments that I put Wales above Macedonia but I looked at some of the scores from Macedonia's recent games and I see some disapointing results. A 0-0 tie against Angola and a loss against Luxembourg, one of Europe's worst national teams. I will update these predictions up until the first day of qualifying but right now I'm disappointed in Macedonia.
Friday, June 11, 2010
World Cup 2010 Group H Predictions
This is an interesting group. Other than Spain, which I don't think should have any problem beating any of the teams and should finish the group stage with all 9 points, the other three teams will have to battle it out for second place and the chance to join Spain in the elimination stage of the tournament. Honduras may struggle since they seem to be the weakest team of the group.
I haven't watched any of these teams play a lot other than Spain. Switzerland I would see play during major tournament. Therefore, I don't have much to say in regards to analysis. I based my predictions on friendlies, past results, and users comments online. However, I really don't think Spain should have much a problem.
Hunduras vs Chile 0-1
Spain vs Switzerland 2-1
Chile vs Switzerland 1-0
Spain vs Honduras 3-1
Chile vs Spain 0-1
Honduras vs Switzerland 0-0
Standings based above predictions:
1. Spain 3-0-0 9 pts 6-2 +4
2. Chile 2-1-0 6 pts 2-1 +1
3. Switzerland 0-2-1 1 pt 1-3 -2
4. Honduras 0-2-1 1 pt 1-4 -3
This would put Spain and Chile into the next round while Switzerland and Honduras will be eliminated.
I haven't watched any of these teams play a lot other than Spain. Switzerland I would see play during major tournament. Therefore, I don't have much to say in regards to analysis. I based my predictions on friendlies, past results, and users comments online. However, I really don't think Spain should have much a problem.
Hunduras vs Chile 0-1
Spain vs Switzerland 2-1
Chile vs Switzerland 1-0
Spain vs Honduras 3-1
Chile vs Spain 0-1
Honduras vs Switzerland 0-0
Standings based above predictions:
1. Spain 3-0-0 9 pts 6-2 +4
2. Chile 2-1-0 6 pts 2-1 +1
3. Switzerland 0-2-1 1 pt 1-3 -2
4. Honduras 0-2-1 1 pt 1-4 -3
This would put Spain and Chile into the next round while Switzerland and Honduras will be eliminated.
World Cup 2010 Group G Predictions
North Korea is definitely the worst team in this group bit U think that they can be a spoiler. A friend told me that the only reason why North Korea qualified in the first place is because they kept matches close. They finished several matches in the qualifying stage with scoreless draws, 1-1 ties, 1-0 wins, and 1-0 losses. This kept their goal difference close and may have even helped them. In many cases, they were to qualify, but some teams may underestimate them.
Ivory Coast vs Portugal: 1-0 win for Portugal. Both teams have injuries, but I think Portugal will pull through with the win. Ivory Coast will have some chances but will not score.
Brazil vs North Korea: 3-0 win for Brazil.
Brazil vs Ivory Coast: 1-0 win for Brazil: My sister-in-law is Brazilian and a few of her friends were telling me last month at my niece's birthday part that they don't believe that Brazil is the same any more. I think it will show in this match. Drogba is injured and with him I think Brazil would end up tied with Ivory Coast. Brazil will be able to take advantage of this and take 3 points with a 1-0 win. If Brazil was at their best, I would probably say 2-0 or 3-0, maybe 2-1 with Drogba was in, but right now, I don't see Brazil playing the way they usually do. Kaka will score the lone goal of the match.
Portugal vs North Korea: 1-0 win for Portugal.: Perfect example of a good team underestimating North Korea. Portugal will win, but North Korea will keep it close and have some chances.
Portugal vs Brazil: 2-2 tie.
North Korea vs Ivory Coast 0-0: another fairly good team will lose a chance to take 3 points because of North Korea.
Standings based on my predictions:
1. Brazil 2-0-1 7 pts 6-2 +4
2. Portugal 2-0-1 7 pts 4-2 +2
3. Ivory Coast 0-2-1 1 pt 0-2 -2
4. North KOrea 0-2-1 1 pt 0-4 -4
As expected, Brazil will qualify on top for the next round, but with a perfect 9 points. Portugal will advance in second place. Ivory Coast and North Korea will be eliminated.
Ivory Coast vs Portugal: 1-0 win for Portugal. Both teams have injuries, but I think Portugal will pull through with the win. Ivory Coast will have some chances but will not score.
Brazil vs North Korea: 3-0 win for Brazil.
Brazil vs Ivory Coast: 1-0 win for Brazil: My sister-in-law is Brazilian and a few of her friends were telling me last month at my niece's birthday part that they don't believe that Brazil is the same any more. I think it will show in this match. Drogba is injured and with him I think Brazil would end up tied with Ivory Coast. Brazil will be able to take advantage of this and take 3 points with a 1-0 win. If Brazil was at their best, I would probably say 2-0 or 3-0, maybe 2-1 with Drogba was in, but right now, I don't see Brazil playing the way they usually do. Kaka will score the lone goal of the match.
Portugal vs North Korea: 1-0 win for Portugal.: Perfect example of a good team underestimating North Korea. Portugal will win, but North Korea will keep it close and have some chances.
Portugal vs Brazil: 2-2 tie.
North Korea vs Ivory Coast 0-0: another fairly good team will lose a chance to take 3 points because of North Korea.
Standings based on my predictions:
1. Brazil 2-0-1 7 pts 6-2 +4
2. Portugal 2-0-1 7 pts 4-2 +2
3. Ivory Coast 0-2-1 1 pt 0-2 -2
4. North KOrea 0-2-1 1 pt 0-4 -4
As expected, Brazil will qualify on top for the next round, but with a perfect 9 points. Portugal will advance in second place. Ivory Coast and North Korea will be eliminated.
World Cup 2010 Group F Predictions
Group F is going to be an interesting set of matches. While I don't think New Zealand will actually make it to the next round like Australia did in 2006, I do see some of the teams underestimating the Kiwis and them upsetting some teams that will end up taking away only a point rather than what they would expect to be an easy 3 points.
Here are my predictions:
Italy vs Paraguay 1-1
Slovakia vs New Zealand 1-1
Slovakia vs Paraguay 2-2
Italy vs New Zealand. Italy wins 1-0. Many would probably expect a high scoring ass--whooping of New Zealand in this one, but I think Italy is going to underestimate New Zealand like the other teams will. Italy will be able to get out of it with all 3 points but they may struggle against New Zealand a little bit.
Slovakia vs Italy 0-0
Paraguay vs New Zealand 1-1
Standings based on above rankings:
1. Italy 1-0-2 5 pts 2-1 +1
2. Paraguay 0-0-3 3 pts 4-4 0
3. Slovakia 0-0-3 3 pts 3-3 0
4. New Zealand 0-1-2 2 pts 2-3 -1
This would put Italy and Paraguay into the next round. Slovakia and New Zealand will go home.
Here are my predictions:
Italy vs Paraguay 1-1
Slovakia vs New Zealand 1-1
Slovakia vs Paraguay 2-2
Italy vs New Zealand. Italy wins 1-0. Many would probably expect a high scoring ass--whooping of New Zealand in this one, but I think Italy is going to underestimate New Zealand like the other teams will. Italy will be able to get out of it with all 3 points but they may struggle against New Zealand a little bit.
Slovakia vs Italy 0-0
Paraguay vs New Zealand 1-1
Standings based on above rankings:
1. Italy 1-0-2 5 pts 2-1 +1
2. Paraguay 0-0-3 3 pts 4-4 0
3. Slovakia 0-0-3 3 pts 3-3 0
4. New Zealand 0-1-2 2 pts 2-3 -1
This would put Italy and Paraguay into the next round. Slovakia and New Zealand will go home.
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