World Cup 2018 World Cup 2018 Predictions - Who Will be the Winner?? - France vs Croatia Final Poll

[pereblue]

Hey Guys and Gals, just the World Cup 2018 has started and I guess we could do some Predictions about the Winner of this World Cup. My Fav. team to win this World Cup is: Argentina. Messi Rules!...

 

[geordiecolin]

I would love to see Nigeria do well as I've enjoyed watching some African teams in previous World Cups and there are some great African players. But my guess is that a European team will win it this time. France,England or Germany

 

[goatwack]

Saudi Arabia to win it

 

[LadyJelena]

No Italy in this WC, so no passion or desire to watch it
Hope Serbia will beat the Swiss tomorrow at least. Certainly won't beat Brazil

I think Germany, Argentina or Spain

 

[mcgameboy]

Who I think will win....

Germany

Who I do not want to see win...

Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Uruguay, Switzerland, Denmark

Who I want to win...

Any of the other 26 teams, but preferably Belgium or France (trying to be realistic)

Teams who I really want to see doing well....

Senegal (gotta have an African team to root for)
Iceland (good, honest, hard-working team)
England (it's been at least 12 years since they did themselves any justice)

 

[sueyh]

No Italy in this WC, so no passion or desire to watch it
Hope Serbia will beat the Swiss tomorrow at least. Certainly won't beat Brazil

I think Germany, Argentina or Spain

Not so sure with Spain. So shocked they changed the head coach just a few day before World Cup.

 

[LadyJelena]

Not so sure with Spain. So shocked they changed the head coach just a few day before World Cup.

I made my prediction being lead by their old days of glory And also because I love Spain - they're my Italian deputy since Italy is not here

Actually I shall find some hot football player to be my WC crush and the choice will be easier (Canizares was the reason why I supported FC Valencia through years )! Women and football

 

[Balky]

I hope it will be a team that never won the world cup before. Belgium or Nigeria for example

Cheers

Balky

 

[ternur]

Probably Germany. That machine seems to grind its way to the final most of the times.

Would be great to see Iceland doing great again.

 

[Mr Green representative]

l want friendship to win

 

[Jono777]

I'll go Germany or maybe a surprise result in Portugal (these guys are always jammy even when off form)

Defo a European team though

 

[Vansteiner]

Winner: England Top scorer: Harry Kane
10e x 81

Spurs fan.

 

[amourgirl]

not England - that much I do know!

 

[goatwack]

Wasn't that Portugal Spain game the epitome of dreariness

Well, no. It was a great, great swashbuckling attacking masterclass. One of the best First Round openers I can recall

And that player, eh. What's his name.....Christian something

 

[liberec]

Germany, England, Brazil, France , Spain

1 of these 5

Portugal is good but CR can´t make it alone. Belgium has no experience.

 

[liberec]

not England - that much I do know!

why not. i have seen the test game in germany ( 0:0 ) England has a solid team and Kane is a machine
similar to Costa what Spain has .

 

[dave1888]

I think it will be Germany v Brazil final with Portugal/Belgium 3rd. France will bottle it as usual..Spain might get to the final too though. Ok enough waffling, Brazil to win it. They have to redeem themselves from 2014!

How spectacular would Spain v Brazil final be! (because Costa could have played for Brazil but rather controversially opted to play for Spain)

 

[sueyh]

I was thinking France maybe....but after today's game against Australia, I don't think France will be the winner. Maybe French squad needs more experience...

 

[Chipkin9]

Wasn't that Portugal Spain game the epitome of dreariness

Well, no. It was a great, great swashbuckling attacking masterclass. One of the best First Round openers I can recall

And that player, eh. What's his name.....Christian something

I put £5 on this game @ Willy Hill for Both teams to score, Each Team Over 4 Corners & Each Team Over 1 Card

Can you imagine my celebrations when Portugal got thier 4th corner in added time?

Well apparently both teams needed 2 cards and 5 corners each. The absolute ambiguity of the wording of that bet. I was ceratin my bet won as my interpretation of that is that both teams needed a card or more each and 4 corners or more each. Why not sate the bet as over 1.5 cards and over 4.5 corners?

Anyway, it was indeeed a fantastic game, and I called Ronaldo scoring that freekick

Been a good tournament so far

 

[snorky510238]

Saudi Arabia to win it

If you were allowed to buy goals they would.

 

[thebigs]

Have had 50 euro on Belgium so fingers crossed they can beat the English and avoid Brazil for a while lol

 

[snorky510238]

It looks quite open on the face of it but only 8 different countries have ever won it and it’s difficult to see a 9th being added to that list. I will go for the well oiled football team that is Germany to win it at the expense of Brazil. Teams that I think will overachieve and ruffle a few feathers on the way are Mexico and Croatia.

 

[DANB9191]

Das beste Weltteam Die Deutschen !!

 

[dionysus]

GoOOoO Raptors *\O/*

ya, um..I'll just be over here

 

[pereblue]

its just first round matches and only rusia has won in an easy way... germans, brazil., even france with poor gameplay. still.pending to watch belgium and some "cinderella" team...

 

[The Dude]

Yeah - so much for Germany. Not the first time they came to Russia ill-prepared.

 

[dunover]

England are a joke - they have the worst ever squad of players I've seen in my life, even worse than Taylor's lot in 1992-94. We have one world-class player, Harry Kane. There is no 'plan B' same as Hodgson in Euro 2016, the second 11 are a shadow of the first 11. Jamie Vardy has pace and scored over 20 league goals and is in form, the Machine Gun Midget less than half that for Man. City and yet I bet the hopeless Southgate starts the little twat ahead of Vardy.

The side is mainly physically weak and unskilled compared to other nations but has been given a piss-easy group that even they can't fuck-up by not progressing along with Belgium, who do have many world-class players.

When they are knocked out and possibly the Penalty Prat resigns afterwards, the same old shit will begin over again. England will be drawn in a joke of a Euro 2020 qualifying group with one half-decent side (take your pick from Switzerland, Poland or Turkey) and four from the following no-hopers: Slovakia, Albania, Andorra, Malta, Luxembourg, Gibraltar, Cyprus, Slovenia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Estonia, Scotland, Armenia and Georgia.

Will win 8+ of the 10 games as a result, all will be rosy in the garden and false optimism will peak. Then they'll play a couple of good teams like Spain, Brazil or Germany in a series of friendlies, and will draw one or two and be slapping themselves on the back despite the obvious signs of impending failure. They will crash out of the tournament, new manager again and repeat-and-rinse for the 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Familiar story people?

 

[thebigs]

England are a joke - they have the worst ever squad of players I've seen in my life, even worse than Taylor's lot in 1992-94. We have one world-class player, Harry Kane. There is no 'plan B' same as Hodgson in Euro 2016, the second 11 are a shadow of the first 11. Jamie Vardy has pace and scored over 20 league goals and is in form, the Machine Gun Midget less than half that for Man. City and yet I bet the hopeless Southgate starts the little twat ahead of Vardy.

The side is mainly physically weak and unskilled compared to other nations but has been given a piss-easy group that even they can't fuck-up by not progressing along with Belgium, who do have many world-class players.

When they are knocked out and possibly the Penalty Prat resigns afterwards, the same old shit will begin over again. England will be drawn in a joke of a Euro 2020 qualifying group with one half-decent side (take your pick from Switzerland, Poland or Turkey) and four from the following no-hopers: Slovakia, Albania, Andorra, Malta, Luxembourg, Gibraltar, Cyprus, Slovenia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Estonia, Scotland, Armenia and Georgia.

Will win 8+ of the 10 games as a result, all will be rosy in the garden and false optimism will peak. Then they'll play a couple of good teams like Spain, Brazil or Germany in a series of friendlies, and will draw one or two and be slapping themselves on the back despite the obvious signs of impending failure. They will crash out of the tournament, new manager again and repeat-and-rinse for the 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Familiar story people?

Have a bit of faith Mr Dun.
England Rugby team can't win a game at the moment, England Cricket team cannot even beat the mighty Scotland but i am sure the Football team can and will do a bit better. There does not seem to be the usual shit from England about yep we will win the cup this time so as long as you avoid Iceland you might just go further than expected.

 

[Retired IncomeNetwork Rep]

Heart says England but my head says - Spain!

Been an interesting few games so far with some of the favorites slipping up early on though. Though in the World Cup it's best to get better through out rather than start off well and peak to early!

 

[snorky510238]

I have never been a fan of the way England play apart from a handful of games in my lifetime they have been woeful. We couldn’t win anything when had Gazza, Shearer and co and imo this lot aren’t fit to clean their boots. I look at the team selection and it just seems negative/ defence minded. If this squad does achieve anything at this World Cup I feel that on reflection people will realise it was because (again imo) it’s a relatively sub standard tournament not because they were an outstanding team. By the way what does Ashley Young have on Gareth Southgate? Can’t see how else he gets in.

 

[dave1888]

That BBC intro pretending England had won WC was so cringey, they'll probably win this game but steady it's their opening match ffs..

 

[mack341]

When they are knocked out and possibly the Penalty Prat resigns afterwards, the same old shit will begin over again. England will be drawn in a joke of a Euro 2020 qualifying group with one half-decent side (take your pick from Switzerland, Poland or Turkey) and four from the following no-hopers: Slovakia, Albania, Andorra, Malta, Luxembourg, Gibraltar, Cyprus, Slovenia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Estonia, Scotland, Armenia and Georgia.

Will win 8+ of the 10 games as a result, all will be rosy in the garden and false optimism will peak. Then they'll play a couple of good teams like Spain, Brazil or Germany in a series of friendlies, and will draw one or two and be slapping themselves on the back despite the obvious signs of impending failure. They will crash out of the tournament, new manager again and repeat-and-rinse for the 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Familiar story people?

So true, this sums up the real history england fans have experienced for the last 18 years, at least since hoddle got the bullet. Sven was the master of making sure we never got a drubbing by one of the top sides, so papering over the cracks, and getting him a lovely new contract.

The thing with this years world cup all the top sides look a shadow of former teams, italy and holland are absent as well, so if England had a top experienced manager who could get our attacking football going this final would probably be the best chance of progressing. Gareth will make sure we are defensively tight by playing the most boring pedestrian football ever, hope I'm wrong.

 

[nikantw]

Best team is Spain. Spain vs Portugal was the best game so far.
They have my support, alongside with Messi, Brazil, Belgium and enybody playing against Germany

 

[snorky510238]

Already England’s defensive frailties are all to apparent. Maguire won’t live with quality attackers they will turn him inside out.

 

[mack341]

I'm listening to the match on talksport, with the wisdom of stuart pearce , I would love to hear dunover [ dazza g] do the commentary. That would be hilarious.

 

[lotusch]

After all the matches so far I put my cash on Belgium.

 

[LadyJelena]

Bye Argentina, but so well done Croatia

Funny how sports, especially football unite people. Almost like how the Olympics in the ancient Greece had the power to stop all the wars during competition period. Only that matters now is World Cup. Participating nations forget the world problems for a while, people put current political situations and personal problems aside and all together cheer and root for their national team. Celebrate like crazy and like one if they score.

Intolerance and even animosity between Serbs and Croatians is unfortunately Europe-wide familiar. Nonsense and very stupid of course, but spread up by brain-washed people and mostly by people who haven't been even planned to be born when the civil war that ripped up Yugoslavia happened. But now all I can see on my newsfeed from Serbian Facebook friends is pride for Croatia! Feeling and writing there like WE ALL sent Argentina home. Whether it's hypocrisy or a simple need to belong and be proud of someone during the WC or just a normal attitude towards the nation who used to be part of one country, or something else I don't know. And it's so nice, whatever it is. Power of the championship.

I was thinking the other day how there's no such event in the world to make female part of the world "disappear" for a month or so, no such passion and thing in common for many, many girls around the globe. That's pity Almost all guys that I know watch EVERY game on the menu these days and only talk about that. How awesome is to be a guy who's into football during the cups

Go go Croatia, go go Serbia, go go Spain

 

[The Viking]

We sure have seen some intresting result
Would be strange to see Argentina and Germany both knocked out in the group stages, wonder if that has ever happend So far Mexico and Croatia have impressed me most
Along with my country ofcourse Iceland
Will be intresting if we could beat Nigeria this afternoon

 

[snorky510238]

We sure have seen some intresting result
Would be strange to see Argentina and Germany both knocked out in the group stages, wonder if that has ever happend So far Mexico and Croatia have impressed me most
Along with my country ofcourse Iceland
Will be intresting if we could beat Nigeria this afternoon

I think they will Viking’s play with pride and passion. No prima donna’s like most of the so called “top nations”. I hope they do well.

 

[goatwack]

The only good result to be had is if Iceland and Nigeria draw today, as much as I like them and want them to do well.

That way there's a chance for one of three teams to battle it out for qualification to the knockouts, including the mighty Argentina. Can you imagine

 

[mcgameboy]

We sure have seen some intresting result
Would be strange to see Argentina and Germany both knocked out in the group stages, wonder if that has ever happend So far Mexico and Croatia have impressed me most
Along with my country ofcourse Iceland
Will be intresting if we could beat Nigeria this afternoon

It has never happened.

Germany have failed to reach the last 8 only once at a World Cup, in 1938. Argentina weren't even in that tournament.

Where Germany have been a bit below par is in the Euros, oddly enough. They went out in the group stages in 1984, 2000 and 2004.

As for your boys Viking, I'd say they should beat Nigeria comfortably today, if Nigeria's performance in their first game is anything to go by.
And I do think they will get at least a draw against Croatia.
Croatia is a talented team, but Iceland qualified ahead of them in the qualifying group, so Iceland won't be daunted.
And to be honest, I think Croatia have benefitted from playing two teams who have been quite poor and error-prone.
Iceland will provide Croatia with their hardest test of the group.

I suppose the question I would like you to answer is this. What would you prefer in the last 16?

A "chance for revenge" against France or a "Nordic derby" against Denmark?

 

[dunover]

Argentina went out in the group stages in 1970, the only time in 17 world cups. Germany nearly went out in Spain '82 after losing to Algeria in the opening game. The other teams were Chile and Austria so the final matches were Chile v Algeria and Germany v Austria. Austria had already won the group with 6 points, Germany had beaten Chile to get 3 points. So inevitably we got a **rigged, ahem!** final match whereby Austria rolled over for Germany and lost 2-0 so they and their mates both went through with 6 points.... Germany went on to make the final and England went home after the second group stage of 3 teams having never lost a game, after being paired with hosts Spain and Germany. Spain had famously lost to Northern Ireland in their first group stage. England battered both Spain and Germany and somehow ended up drawing both matches, and because Germany beat Spain they won the group of 3.

I often wondered what had happened to 'Angry' Anderson, the singer from Australian hard rock group Rose Tattoo back in the 1980's.

Turns out he became the Argentina manager, but after last night should go back to singing.

 

[goatwack]

Argentina went out in the group stages in 1970, the only time in 17 world cups. Germany nearly went out in Spain '82 after losing to Algeria in the opening game. The other teams were Chile and Austria so the final matches were Chile v Algeria and Germany v Austria. Austria had already won the group with 6 points, Germany had beaten Chile to get 3 points. So inevitably we got a **rigged, ahem!** final match whereby Austria rolled over for Germany and lost 2-0 so they and their mates both went through with 6 points.... Germany went on to make the final and England went home after the second group stage of 3 teams having never lost a game, after being paired with hosts Spain and Germany. Spain had famously lost to Northern Ireland in their first group stage. England battered both Spain and Germany and somehow ended up drawing both matches, and because Germany beat Spain they won the group of 3.

I often wondered what had happened to 'Angry' Anderson, the singer from Australian hard rock group Rose Tattoo back in the 1980's.

View attachment 92202

Turns out he became the Argentina manager, but after last night should go back to singing.

View attachment 92203

I was somewhat taken aback at seeing Pitbull shout instructions from the touchline myself

 

[snorky510238]

Argentina went out in the group stages in 1970, the only time in 17 world cups. Germany nearly went out in Spain '82 after losing to Algeria in the opening game. The other teams were Chile and Austria so the final matches were Chile v Algeria and Germany v Austria. Austria had already won the group with 6 points, Germany had beaten Chile to get 3 points. So inevitably we got a **rigged, ahem!** final match whereby Austria rolled over for Germany and lost 2-0 so they and their mates both went through with 6 points.... Germany went on to make the final and England went home after the second group stage of 3 teams having never lost a game, after being paired with hosts Spain and Germany. Spain had famously lost to Northern Ireland in their first group stage. England battered both Spain and Germany and somehow ended up drawing both matches, and because Germany beat Spain they won the group of 3.

I often wondered what had happened to 'Angry' Anderson, the singer from Australian hard rock group Rose Tattoo back in the 1980's.

View attachment 92202

Turns out he became the Argentina manager, but after last night should go back to singing.

View attachment 92203

1982 one of the best World Cup tournaments ever imo. If I remember rightly Italy had the exact same goal difference as Cameroon in the group stage ( both drew their 3 games ) but went through having scored 1 more goal and from there Italy went on to win it. This World Cup had everything including Italy beating Brazil 3-2 in the knockout stage ( great game) but for me the best World Cup game ever was the semi-final between France and Germany. The French played some beautiful football and had talent in abundance. The Germans also not short on talent and some physically strong players. Full time 1-1 and how the German keeper was still on the pitch only the ref knew. I desperately wanted France to win and in extra time they went 3-1 ahead but the Germans never gave up on what looked a bridge to far ( had to put that in ) and levelled it at 3-3. Germany won on penalties and their hero of course the man who should have been sent off. At least Italy destroyed them in the final and if you weren’t around in those days the whole tournament is definitely worth watching.

 

[goatwack]

Great to see Brazil in their smurf blue finally decide to score in injury time. Almost cost me five Euros.

Instead, now, I have 5.95 Euros to bet on another certainty. Hence, I've put it on Nigeria to beat Iceland

If they do win, that's my next Bonanza session paid for

 

[Welshy88]

What's up with Neymar crying at the end of the game ? .
Can't stand him and his dives.
I will take anyone to win the world cup over this Brazil side .

 

[goatwack]

Neymar got fouled a record 10 times against Switzerland and about 50 times in this game.

To be fair he was roughhoused for the majority of both games, but did throw in a lot of diving in there too, so much so that the ref stopped caring at the end and just ignored him altogether

Funny how after all that it's him that got booked as well

 

[goatwack]

SUPER SUPER EAGLES

 

[goatwack]

Sigurdsson= gets the freedom of Nigeria for that

 

[Welshy88]

Well that gets Argentina out of jail .